


Wanderlust

by TheSecretFandom



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Cuddling, Eventual Smut, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Kissing, Smut, Travel, hand holding, make out
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2018-12-12 13:55:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 40,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11738448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSecretFandom/pseuds/TheSecretFandom
Summary: A serendipitous meeting in a foreign city leads to the beginning of a an incredible adventure and even more incredible relationships.





	1. City of Sin

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first multichapter fic for the Bughead fandom. I based a lot of stuff in this off of real events from when I was traveling in Europe. Of course, I didn't meet a cute boy or anything, so I just inserted events wherever they seemed to fit. Enjoy and I hope you continue to follow wherever the wind takes our world travelers in the future chapters.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Some tourists think Amsterdam is a city of sin, but in truth it is a city of freedom. And in freedom, most people find sin."  
> \--John Green, The Fault in Our Stars
> 
> How well will Jughead and Betty get to know each other in the few short days they have in Amsterdam?

"Cheryl! Keep up!" Betty shouted to the girl trailing behind her. Veronica was leading the way, marching into the hostel they had booked for the next four nights. "There'll be plenty of time for shopping tomorrow."

Betty was already dragging one of Cheryl's bags behind her as well as her own two bags. How she'd gotten roped into that she wasn't sure, but at least they were finally at the end of their long walk from the bus station. By the time Betty had gotten Cheryl's attention and led her to the entrance of the skinny building, Veronica had already them checked in.

"Top floor, it's practically the penthouse suite." Veronica announced to her friends who were just entering behind her. "And I have these three young gentlemen who are going to help us with our bags."

Betty widened her eyes at Veronica. What happened to stranger danger?

"Don't worry, they're from the States too, so no language barrier. They're taking the other three beds in our room."

"Well well well, would you look at these tall drinks of water." Cheryl crooned. She dropped her duffel dramatically and hooked her arms with the redheaded boy and the tall, handsome Asian boy standing next to him. The third boy leaned against the wall, as if waiting for this whole interaction to end. His small beanie could barely confine the thick locks of black hair underneath.

Betty was still trying to figure out just how Veronica had managed make friends in the two minutes that they'd been separated. The redhead lifted Veronica's bags and headed toward the stairs at the front of the building.

"Wait for me, Archiekins." Veronica winked at her friend and followed the well-built boy to the stairs. "I'll get the door for you."

Cheryl had clearly already claimed her pack mule, gesturing to her bags that she'd dropped earlier. "Betty, don't be silly, he'll carry my bags the rest of the way."

The pair disappeared up the stairs and Betty was left with the third mysterious stranger.

"Well, that was weird." The boy pushed off the wall and sauntered over to where Betty stood. He nodded toward Betty's luggage. "Need any help with those?"

"I can handle it, thanks." She hiked up her backpack and got a firm grip on her luggage. The stairs were incredibly steep and thin. With limited space within the narrow building, they didn't want to waste space on the stairs. It was slow going, taking one step at a time as she dragged her black, wheeled luggage up the steps behind her.

"You know, if you let me help this'll go faster." Betty ignored him. Stubborn as ever, she absolutely did not want to give in and let some stranger get the better of her. "I'm Jughead by the way. Surprisingly, the nickname is better than the real one."

Betty stopped walking at the first platform, where she dropped her bags. Her breath was already heavy with the effort. "Jug…head?" She turned to look at the boy who was following along leisurely. "Where'd that name come from?"

The boy shrugged. "Doesn't matter really. It's just my name now." He was fiddling with a camera that hung around his neck. "Do you mind if I-" Click "Keep that one?"

Betty shook her head, not with anger but in disbelief. She'd met all sorts of characters on the long journey it took to get from her hometown to this hostel in Amsterdam, but no one quite so forward.

A small, close-mouthed smile crossed his lips. "You didn't say no." He wound the camera, old-fashioned from what Betty could gather. Not that she knew anything about cameras. "I'm documenting my travels. I'll still take photos of all of those typical touristy things, if only for Archie and Reggie's sake, those boys wouldn't know a good view if it hit them in the face… but I like to get pictures of the finer things. The side that can only be experienced by the individual."

"And you think an exhausted girl standing at the top of a staircase is part of your grand experience?"

Jughead grinned, "Precisely. Most people wouldn't even think to take a picture of that, but I did."

Betty simply stared at this boy. He was definitely a weirdo, that much she could gather, but he seemed nice. She noticed that he had not once said anything along the lines of 'A little thing like you shouldn't be carrying all of that by yourself,' which she'd heard time and again during the journey across the ocean. He did have a point though. Even if she did just let him take her relatively light backpack, she would move a lot quicker.

As if reading her mind Jughead spoke again. "Let me give you my analysis of the situation we're in. You don't want to let me, a strange guy you just met, carry your bags for two reasons. Number one, obviously, I'm a strange guy you just met. Number two, and probably the main reason, you want to prove to me that you can do it." He stopped and scratched his nose. "I believe you can carry these bags up three flights of stairs if that's what you want to do. The fact of the matter is that we will move faster and it will be easier for you if you just let me help."

Betty's mouth gaped open. Never in her life had somebody called her out like that. No one had ever really cared enough to try to get in to her head the way this guy was.

"So, here are your two options, and you have to pick one." Jughead lifted one finger. "You can allow me to help you." He lifted a second finger. "Or you can kindly move out of the way so I can get upstairs and make sure none of the guys has stolen my bed. I prefer top bunk."

"By all means," Betty said, shimmying backward on the small landing. "After you."

Jughead smirked and sidled past her, their shoulders brushing as he passed. "See you upstairs."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The girl with the blonde ponytail stumbled into the small room five long minutes later. Jughead was perched at the end of his bunk, laptop open in front of him. "Nice of you to join us."

"Betty, what were you thinking?" Veronica complained, standing from her spot on her lower bunk. She walked close to Betty and spoke in hushed tones. Luckily, Jughead was an expert at eavesdropping. "Must you always deny help from the boys? Is it because I took Archie? You wanted Archie didn't you?"

Of course, Jughead thought. The girls always go for Archie, or Reggie for that matter. His silent, brooding demeanor always seemed to make other people take a step back, but it had never bothered him before.

Betty pushed the other girl back a little, fixing her with a glare that said 'What is wrong with you?'. "I'm fine, V." She huffed, still catching her breath. "Besides, it builds character."

The girl, Betty, dropped her luggage on the floor at the foot of Veronica's bed and climbed the ladder to the empty bed on top. Jughead's bed, which he shared with Archie was parallel to theirs, Reggie and the red headed-girl sharing the bunk closest to the window, lined up at the end of the other two girls' bed. This left Jughead with two things to look at in the small, mostly empty room. He decided on the prettier of the two. He laid down in his bed and angled his head toward the girl's bed, opting to look at her instead of Reggie.

Betty's actions mirrored his, though she didn't notice it. She laid flat on her back at first, then rolled over. Jughead did his best to act casual, averting his eyes before she opened hers. When she finally let her eyes open, Jughead was staring at the wall just above her. He flicked his eyes down to look at her.

"Betty." He said with a slight nod.

"Jughead." She reciprocated.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Betty was up early the next morning, the remaining occupants all fast asleep. She opened the window quietly, sneaking a look at the overhang just outside. It was wide enough for her to sit on, legs crossed, with room to spare. She took a step out, holding tightly to the windowsill as she swung her other leg over.

The sun was just beginning to rise. Betty let her head rest against the brick of the old building. She just couldn't believe she was here. Her whole life, she'd dreamt of traveling through Europe and she'd finally gotten the opportunity. She'd taken a year off from school, opting to work and save money for the trip of a lifetime. Veronica and Cheryl didn't understand how that was. Their parents gave them all the money they needed for the summer long trip they were going on. Betty's family didn't have the funds to spare her anything for the trip, not that they would've helped if they could.

"We've got a daredevil on our hands here." Betty glanced over her shoulder. Jughead stood at the window, just his head poking out. "Mind if I join you?"

Betty shook her head, sliding over so the boy could take a seat next to her.

Jughead sat next to Betty and pulled his knees to his chest. Fingers fiddling with the camera that hasn't left his side since Betty first saw him. He looked out across the famous Amsterdam canals. The sun was just starting to reflect across the water and a few bicycles were already rolling down the street.

Jughead took a deep breath. "Ah, nothing like the sweet smell of marijuana in the morning."

Betty snorted. Smooth move. "You smoke?" She asked with a sweet smile.

"Once or twice." Jughead shrugged. "It was kind of a big thing at my high school. Hard to avoid."

Betty nodded. She'd never tried it herself, but she'd also never been to Amsterdam before, where the drug was legal and even flaunted in the multitude of "Coffee Shops," which Betty learned do not actually sell coffee.

"So, what do you all have planned for the day?"

"Oh um, I think we were just going to wander the city a bit. We didn't want to plan too much for our first day in case we were jetlagged."

"You don't seem jetlagged at all." Jughead offered.

"Yeah, we got up so early to catch our flight that I slept most of the way here. I already managed to adjust to the time zone I guess."

"That's a good thing. More time to, explore the city."

"Yeah, I guess." Betty scratched her arm nervously. Say something. Anything. If you're quiet for too long it'll get awkward."Is this your first time abroad?"

"Yeah, it's awesome right? We got here just before your friend showed up." Jughead smiled; he snapped a photo of the sun rising over the buildings. "We had just brought our things up, but Reggie wanted to go get a beer so we came back down, that's when Veronica showed up. Archie kind of volunteered me to stick around to help you guys out."

"I'm sorry about that, by the way. I know I can be kind of stubborn." Betty bit her lip, continuing. "But as soon as someone thinks I can't do something, then I have to do it."

"I never thought you couldn't do it."

Betty shook her head and turned her shoulders to face Jughead better. "Oh I know that. Veronica and Cheryl, though. Between you and me, sometimes it's like they expect other people to do things for them. And with their looks, it's not hard for them to find people like that."

Jughead shimmied backward slightly, carefully turning his body to face Betty fully. He lifted the camera to his eye. "I think you've definitely got the looks to pull that off." Click.

"Another one of your grand experiences?"

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After sitting on the overhang with Jughead for almost two hours, Betty was dressed and ready to explore by nine o'clock. Her hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, leaving her shoulders exposed by her white tank. Jughead watched from his bed as she stood in front of the full length mirror, applying a light coat of mascara.

A soft sigh came from the lump of blankets on the bed beneath Betty's. Betty turned abruptly, tossing her make-up into the small bag that she'd retrieved it from earlier. She sat on the side of Veronica's bed and pulled the blanket away from her head.

"Good morning sunshine." She said, her voice sing-songy to the sleepy girl.

"B?" Veronica questioned. "What are you doing up?"

Betty wave a hand nonchalantly, though Jughead noticed that the other girl had yet to open her eyes. "Are you ready to explore? I'm starving and dying to see the city."

"It's so early." The black haired girl peeked her eye open. "And bright. I need at least twenty minutes to fully wake up and another hour to shower and do my hair and get dressed."

"It's going to be lunchtime by the time you're ready, and Cheryl hasn't even woken up yet."

"Sorry, B. I'm just so tired. I can't move right now." With that, Veronica pulled the blanket over her head again. Betty sighed and stood up.

"I know how you feel." Jughead said, motioning to his friends, still fast asleep. "How about we go get some breakfast? My treat." Jughead hopped down from his bed.

"Oh, I don't know. I should probably wait for my friends."

"Come on, Betty. I won't bite. After all, if I was trying to kill you I would've done so already. I could've pushed you down the stairs yesterday or thrown you off the roof this morning, but I didn't."

Betty rolled her eyes. "How kind of you." She replied sarcastically.

Jughead grinned and grabbed his room key and wallet from his suitcase. He draped an arm across Betty's shoulder casually. "I think we could turn out to be really good friends."

Betty quirked an eyebrow, but allowed Jughead to lead her out of the room, down the stairs, and into the busy streets of Amsterdam. A stream of bikes whizzed by, Betty noticed that there were more bikes than cars.

"Pancake Corner." Jughead announced, pointing toward the sign that he'd just noticed. "Sounds promising."

"I would eat anything right now, I'm so hungry." Betty's answer was accompanied by a loud groan from her stomach.

"Well, lucky for you, you don't have to eat just anything. You get to eat some delicious Dutch pancakes." Jughead glanced both ways, checking for bikes and cars, then grabbed Betty's hand and pulled her across the street quickly. When they reached the safety of the opposite sidewalk Jughead dropped her hand and looked back at the beautiful blonde. She was smiling up at him. "After you."

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Betty and Jughead arrived back to their room at what seemed to be the perfect time. The other four occupants of the room were out of bed, dressed, and seemingly ready to go. Cheryl was sitting on her bed, liberally applying sunscreen.

"Finally, you guys are back." Veronica announced. She marched over to Betty, much like she'd done just the other day. In her ear she whispered. "Tell me all about it…later."

Betty blushed and took a step away from the boy who stood just a little too close. "Anyway, are you and Cheryl ready to go? I really want to go check out the Anne Frank House before it gets too busy."

Cheryl stood from her bed, grabbing her purse in one hand and Reggie's arm in the other. "Snooze fest. Count me out." Without another word, Cheryl marched out the door, patting Betty's cheek as she went.

"Sorry, B." Veronica picked up her purse. "But the boys are taking us out for lunch. You can come with of course."

"I literally just finished breakfast." Betty sighed. "Just… go ahead. It's fine. Let's just promise to meet up afterward."

"Archie wants to go on a canal tour!" Veronica pulled something out of her pocket. "Here's the place. Meet us there at one." She gave Betty a tight hug and then walked toward the door. "Come on, Archiekins."

Betty sat silently on Veronica's bed. Now with two hours to waste, she wasn't sure what to do.

"Looks like my friends aren't the only one's volunteering me to do stuff." Jughead said with a slight laugh. Betty glanced up at the boy with sad eyes. She'd forgotten that he was there. "Sorry, not funny."

Betty flopped back on the bed. This trip was supposed to be the three girls together, seeing the world and having fun. Now it seemed she was alone. Yet again, she was doing what was asked of her. Always striving to be the perfect friend, she didn't dare argue with Veronica.

"So," Jughead started. "When are we going to Anne Frank's?"  
"You really want to go?" Betty asked. "Or are you mocking me?"

"I wouldn't dare mock you." A shy smile crossed the boys lips. "Besides, I'm a sucker for a little history."

"Okay." She paused, standing. "Thank you, Jughead."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Betty and Jughead were the last to arrive at the boat for the tour, the other four waiting on the dock.

"Jughead!" Archie called, waving to the pair. "Over here, we already have your tickets."

The group boarded the boat, which was still relatively empty. Booths lined both sides, but were only large enough to hold four people. Jughead already knew what was likely to happen, based on the events of the day so far. Betty didn't seem likely to let that happen.

The blonde girl grabbed each of her friends by the arm, stopping them from choosing a seat. "Can we sit together? Just us."

"I promised Archie I would sit with him, though." Veronica replied.

"I'm your best friend though, V. This was supposed to be a trip for the three of us. Please?"

"Well, I guess…" Veronica glanced to the boys who were waiting beside them. Archie nodded. "Okay."

Jughead took a seat alone in a booth; his friends followed him.

"Man, girls… huh?" Reggie said. "I wouldn't have even come on this boat if I didn't think I was going to get one step closer to getting laid."

"Shut up, Reg." Archie shoved his shoulder. "You'll get your chance."

"Cher does seem pretty into me, doesn't she? Can't blame her." The boy flexed his muscles. Not for the first time, Jughead wondered about his choice of friends. "What about you, Jug? Think you're gonna get lucky?"

Jughead glared at Reggie. He wouldn't even be friends with him if it weren't for Archie. They'd been on the football team together in high school, and Archie basically forced them to hang out as a group. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Is everything about sex to you?"

"Like you haven't thought about it." Reggie glanced over his shoulder to where the girls were sitting. "You know what they say, blondes have more fun."

"Reggie, just shut up!"

He raised his hands in defeat. "Chill, Jughead. I'm just saying. She's hot… and she seems into you."

Jughead sat back, glancing toward the girls table. Veronica was saying something to Betty, something that caused her cheeks to turn a deep shade of pink. Betty glanced up. She locked eyes with Jughead and smiled.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

"Okay girls! Welcome to the Red Light District!" Reggie announced, walking past the post that marked the edge of the sexiest part of the city. It was their last night in Amsterdam, and the group was inseparable. Betty hadn't been sure about these guys at first, but after the canal tour, she knew she could trust them not to steal her friends away. Plus, the guys seemed nice enough, especially Jughead.

All six of them were well on their way to being drunk, and Betty didn't think twice about following them all into the eerie red glow. Buildings were fronted with tall windows, each one showing off a different woman. Most wore slim bikini tops, the fabric just barely covering their breasts, and thongs. Bright neon signs boasted lowest prices for peep shows, sex theaters, and… a sign that claimed '€2 anal.'

Betty held tight to Jughead's arm, not wanting to get swept into the thriving crowd of individuals seeking who-knows-what. He glanced at Betty, then followed her line of sight to the large sign. He grinned back at her and leaned in close to her ear so she could hear him speak. "That's a pretty good deal, don't you think?"

Betty's face felt like it was on fire, that's how hard she blushed. She tried to play it off with a laugh and a wide-mouthed grin. Hopefully the glowing neon hid the redness in her cheeks. Regardless, she held on to his arm and followed her friends closer to one of the buildings.

Reggie was gesticulating wildly, pointing to the sign for a building. "Live. Sex. Show." He looked around at the group, who didn't seem quite as interested. "It's part of the Amsterdam experience! Come on, you all watch porn right?"

No one replied to him, though Betty admitted, if only to herself, that she had watched some from time to time. Not that she would ever admit that to anyone, even her closest friends.

"If it sucks we'll leave, okay?" Reggie laughed, as if he'd just made some hilarious joke. "Scratch that if it sucks we'll stay. You know what I mean though! It can't hurt to check it out."

"Oh, I am so in." Cheryl announced, grinning wickedly.

"I'll go if Archie goes." Veronica replied.

"I'm in too, I guess." Archie said.

The whole group looked to Betty and Jughead, who were standing silently behind them.

"What about you Betty?" Cheryl dared. "Are you in?"

Betty's eyes widened. She was absolutely terrified of following them into that building. She shook her head slowly. "Actually, I'm kind of tired and I really have to pee. You guys go ahead though! I'll just head back to the hostel." Betty extracted her arm from Jughead's, assuming he'd follow his friends, and began to walk back the way they'd came. She only got a few steps before Jughead grabbed her arm.

"You can't get rid of me that easily." He took Betty's hand in his. "I'll come back with you."

"It's fine, really. I don't want you to miss out."

"I'm not missing out. I have everything I need right here."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The way Betty smiled at him made his knees weak. He'd had three days in paradise with her, and it seemed like she might feel the same way. Every morning they met on the overhang outside their window. They would watch the sunrise and talk about how they'd gotten there. Jughead was similar to Betty in that way. They'd both taken time off of school to work and to travel. They both had great friends who encouraged them through their hardships, who made it possible for them to get here, to be in this moment together.

As they walked back to their hostel Betty tripped once or twice over the cobblestones. Each time she lost her balance she would squeeze Jughead's hand, so he spent most of the walk hoping she'd trip again, for his own selfish reasons.

"Careful on the stairs." Jughead warned after Betty tripped on the first step. They had to go single file up the small staircase, so Jughead opted to let Betty go first. She tripped again on the second step and Jughead grabbed her waist. "One step at a time. Go slowly."

"I am…" Betty giggled. "The step gets taller every time I try stepping on it."

"Whatever you say."

Betty managed the climb better with Jughead's hands holding her steady. When they reached the top Jughead let go, and Betty turned and smiled at him. Suddenly she wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him close. Jughead's mind went completely blank, his body not knowing how to respond to the new sensation. She felt good, pressed tightly against him, and wasn't letting go. He let his arms wrap around her shoulders.

"Thanks for walking me back." She looked up into his eyes and Jughead marveled at the color of hers. Kind of green, kind of blue. He'd never seen anything like it.

"It was nothing, really. I wanted to come back anyway."

Betty continued staring into his eyes, blinking slowly. The adrenaline of the evening was wearing off, it seemed, and Betty was getting tired.

With one final burst of energy her hands moved to cheeks and she pulled his face towards hers. Their lips connected with a burst of fireworks. Goosebumps traveled up Jughead's arms and onto his neck, but he wasn't cold. In fact, it seemed the room was getting warmer as Betty's soft, pink lips moved against his own. He held her waist, much like she had been only moments before, and pulled her close.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hours later, four loud bodies crashed into the room. Betty found herself suddenly wide awake, sober, and with a huge headache. She sat up quickly, almost hitting her head on the ceiling. She glanced around the room and found Jughead looking similarly exhausted in the bed across from hers. In the doorway stood Veronica and Cheryl, looking just the same as they had hours before, and a soaking wet Archie. On the floor in front of them was Reggie, in all states of disarray.

"What happened?" Betty questioned, bringing her phone up to check the time. 4:32. She'd only been sleeping for two hours.

"This fucking idiot," Archie said, his breathing heavy, "Jumped into the fucking canal."

"How does that explain why you're wet?" Jughead questioned. He raised an eyebrow at Betty.

"Someone had to jump in to save him. He's drunk off his ass so there's no way he would've made it out by himself."

Archie was already removing his clothes, and that meant everything. He had just moved his hands to the waistband of his underwear when Betty looked away quickly. She widened her eyes at Jughead, begging him to put a stop to it.

"Archie! Do you mind? There are ladies in the room."

"Oh, we don't mind." Cheryl said. She and Veronica were already both standing in front of the mirror, removing their make-up. Cheryl obviously couldn't help herself and glanced surreptitiously behind her.

"And besides, Jughead, the water in those canals is disgusting. I've got to get it off and go take a shower." Betty refused to move her eyes away from Jughead, afraid of what she might see otherwise. "Now get your ass down her and help me with Reggie."

The dark haired boy shook his head. "Absolutely not. You guys got yourself into this mess. I want no part of it. And… keep it down. I need my beauty rest."

Jughead pulled his blanket over his head and Betty followed suit, trying desperately to get back to sleep. There was shuffling, a few loud bangs, and a few minutes later the door slammed shut and the room was quiet again. She drifted back to sleep, her dreams filled with a black haired boy and soft, sweet kisses.

Betty was awoken by a hand nudging her shoulder. "Betty." A deep voice whispered. "Get up, get dressed, and meet me downstairs."

Betty was still sleepy, but rolled over anyway to look for the voice that was speaking to her. He was already gone when she opened her eyes. Across the room, Jughead's bed was empty. Betty smiled to herself and pushed herself up onto her elbows. What did this guy have in store?

Jughead was waiting outside the building, two bikes perched beside him. He flashed a bright smile at Betty and gestured to the bikes. "Care to join me for a morning ride?"

"Where are we going?"

"Anywhere."

Betty simply nodded. She took the bike closest to her and hopped on. She let Jughead ride slightly in front of her, leading the way down the quiet morning street. They followed the curve of the canal, reaching the less compact part of the city, where a quiet park sat nestled into trees and water. Jughead branched off the main road, taking an unofficial trail closer to the bank of the canal. It led to a large Weeping Willow, with its branches and leaves hanging out over the water. It was like a perfect bubble of privacy; when they dismounted the bikes and pushed through the leaves it was like a different world. One where only the two of them existed.

Jughead sat close to the edge of the water and patted the spot next to him, asking Betty to join. They sat in comfortable silence for a long time. The leaves danced in the morning breeze, birds softly chirping. It was one of those mornings that made Betty wonder if life could get any better.

Jughead was watching Betty now, it was the first time he'd seen her wearing her hair down. She also noticed that he wasn't wearing his hat at the moment, but holding it in his hand. All of a sudden Betty realized that they were both just sitting there staring at each other and immediately turned a shade of bright red.

"What's wrong?" Jughead asked, his hand finding hers.

"Nothing, sorry." Betty turned away, pulling her hand back. "I made things so awkward last night didn't I? I mean, I had plenty to drink so it wasn't really my fault that I kissed you."

"If that's what you want to believe, then go ahead, but I wasn't drunk… and I kissed you back." Jughead took Betty's hand firmly in his so she couldn't pull away so easily this time. "It was good and… if you let me, I'd like to kiss you again."

"I might not be as good sober." Betty warned, a smile creeping onto her cheeks.

"I'll take my chances."

They both leaned in at the same time and Betty was just so happy she was sober for this one. She could feel every curve of his body beneath her hands, every nibble of his teeth on her bottom lip. Every sensation she was feeling was good, and she never wanted it to stop.

"Where will you go next?" Betty whispered into the kiss.

Jughead moved away slightly, and blue eyes met green. "Didn't Veronica tell you? We're coming with you to Munich."

Betty shook her head, staring at the beautiful boy in front of her. She kissed him again. "Veronica, that sly bastard."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on Tumblr @thesecretfandom


	2. Gateway to the Alps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You're getting pictures, right?"
> 
> "Of you, always."  
> \-------  
> Sorry this is such a shit show guys. I used this chapter as a way to try to get over my writer's block so it's definitely not great. I also did not have a lot of knowledge on this area of the world, so it was a bit harder for me to get into the story. The next chapter will be better, I promise!

"Okay, boys and girls. As your self-elected travel agent, I need you all to listen up." Veronica was far too perky for someone who had just gotten off of a ten hour, overnight bus from Amsterdam to Munich. Luckily, the bus had enough space that each of the six travelers could have some semblance of personal space, each one of them claiming two seats.

Cheryl had downed a Xanax as soon as they got on the bus, promptly falling asleep before they'd even left the city. Reggie was in the seat just behind her, sneakily writing in a journal. Betty pretended not to see, sure that if he wanted anyone to know he wouldn't be facing as far away from the rest of them as possible. So, Reggie did have a soft side.

Betty was sure that she noticed Veronica and Archie making out in the very back of the bus. She had to admit, Veronica oozed confidence. Betty was more wary, however. She liked Jughead, sure, but she wasn't quite ready for everyone to know that yet. It had only been a year since she'd broken up with her high school boyfriend Trev, but Veronica had been trying to set her up with new guys ever since. Honestly, Betty was just not ready to face Veronica with a potential new relationship, and she definitely did not want to subject Jughead to that.

It seemed as if the two of them would be able to get away with a secret little romance for the time being. Cheryl and Reggie were a bit too self-absorbed to notice anything, and Veronica and Archie were too distracted with each other to notice a difference in their best friends. In fact, they didn't even notice when Jughead snuck into the seat next to Betty, laptop open with the title screen for Rebel Without A Cause, and one half of his headphones held out for her to share.

Now, the group stood in a new hostel in the heart of Munich. They each sat on one of the three lower bunk, with the exception of Veronica who stood above them all lecturing like a Kindergarten teacher. "We have only one full day in Munich, that's tomorrow, but we've got the rest of today and most of the day on Tuesday before heading to the Alps." They all knew the plan already, so Betty wasn't sure why he was going over it all again. "We'll check into the Airbnb at the base of the Alps at seven o'clock Tuesday night and then we'll have two nights there. Understood?"

"Yes, Mom." Betty and Cheryl responded sarcastically. They were used to Veronica's theatrics by now, forever the one to make their plans and make sure the plans were followed through. But hey, somebody had to do it, otherwise they'd be hitchhiking their way across Germany right now. Which, Betty noted, would probably be a dangerous idea.

"Oh, I'm the mom… am I?" Veronica replied incredulously. "Betty volunteered this morning to cook dinner for us this evening, so family meal at six o'clock. "

Jughead glanced at Betty, smirking from across the room. Had she forgotten to mention to the perpetually hungry boy that she was a pretty good cook? Whoops. Betty responded with an inconspicuous wink.

"Well, I for one am headed to the English Garden." Cheryl claimed. "I don't care who comes with, but I need Jughead and his camera. My Instagram is in dire need of an update." She pulled Jughead off of his seat by the arm. "Come on, beanie-boy."

Jughead glanced nervously at Archie, then Betty. "Anyone else coming?" His eyes were begging Betty to say yes. Or anyone for that matter. Being alone with Cheryl was a terrifying proposition, even for Betty who had been friends with her since they were tots in preschool.

"Can I get a beer first?" Reggie asked.

"Actually, Reg… there's a beer garden within the English Garden." Archie responded, looking up from his phone. "Biergarten am Chines-something-something."

Jughead clapped Archie's shoulder. "Nice attempt, Arch. And that's why you two will go to the beer garden, and the girls and I will head to the more picturesque part of the garden."

"Actually, I could go for a beer." Veronica responded. "As you all so nicely pointed out, this mom needs to loosen up a bit."

"Suit yourself…then Cheryl, Betty, and I. You in, Betts?"

Betty glanced at the two groups standing in front of her. She could join her best friend, or she could follow the blue eyed boy. The choice was obvious in Betty's mind, but she was still unsure of what the others would think about her choice. To hell with it. It's not like they were going alone. Cheryl would be there, no doubt hogging the attention and the conversation topics to herself.

"I'm in." Betty responded. "I can't let Cher get all of the good Instagram pics, now can I?"

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hordes of people crowded the sidewalks, moving from one area of the park to another. Cheryl insisted on stopping for pictures at the beer garden, which boasted a tall Chinese style tower. Jughead indulged her for a while, but insisted that they move on to somewhere less crowded.

The redhead stopped at least five more times, posing in front of any tree or bush that she found interesting. Betty stood next to Jughead as he snapped photos, close but not too close.

"Jughead, over here! Don't these flowers complement my hair so well?"

"I think the best pictures will be over by the river. And don't forget, Betty wants some pictures too."

Jughead was excited to finish with Cheryl's pictures so he could move on to Betty. He couldn't wait to get her in the frame again. He'd gotten plenty of pictures of her in Amsterdam, but cities changed people. The camera might see a completely different person. Jughead found himself watching Betty as she walked ahead with Cheryl. The two were walking with linked arms, hips swaying and contrasting red and gold hair blowing in the wind. With river flowing in front of them and two trees framing them perfectly, Jughead took his shot. Click. Betty would say it's another one of his grand experiences, and Jughead would have to agree.

"Here, Jughead? I can't get much closer to the river without falling in!" Cheryl turned, standing just at the bank of the river.

"Now that would be a sight to see," Betty responded, skipping over to Jughead as Cheryl shooed her out of the shot.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Betty had to basically bribe Cheryl to give Jughead a break. She pulled a handful of coins from her purse and told her to get them some gelato from a nearby food stand. After she'd left Betty returned to Jughead and let a slow smile creep onto her lips. Jughead smiled back, cocking his head in question. Betty put a hand on each of cheeks and pulled him in for a quick kiss. Jughead's hand immediately reached to the back of her neck, holding her there as he kissed her.

Betty slowly extracted herself. She left a series of small kisses to his lips as she pulled away. "I've been wanting to do that all day." She sighed.

"I've been wanting to do that since we stopped yesterday morning."

"Touché."

Betty caught a glance of a girl with bright red hair weaving through the crowd with three cones held carefully in her hands. Betty missed the feel of Jughead's hands on her body as soon as she pulled away.

Jughead took the pink, strawberry cone and had already started eating before Betty even had the chance to take the vanilla cone out of Cheryl's hand.

"They had a maple flavor. Can you believe it?"

"Totally unbelievable, Cher." Betty responded, swiping her tongue in a long sweep across her cold dessert. "Anyway, I should probably be done exploring for the day. I want to stop at that market we passed on the way here and get some food for dinner."

"And I…" Cheryl started. "…am going to get Reggie to buy me a drink."

Cheryl linked her free arm with Jughead's, not sure which way they had come from. Jughead held his free arm out, letting his eyes meet Betty's. She graciously accepted the invitation and linked her arm with Jughead's. The three continued like this through the park, which with the evening drawing closer, was becoming more and more sparse.

Cheryl located the other members of their group quickly and began to tug her counterparts in that direction. Betty, however, was quick thinking and slipped her arm out of Jughead's and gracefully slipped away.

"Cher. Let. Go." Jughead tried to pry Cheryl's hand from his bicep and failed miserably. That girl had the grip of steel. "Let go. I'm going to go with Betty and make sure she gets back to the hostel okay."

Cheryl glanced at him, then at Betty. The girl's classic, sly smirk appeared and she finally let the taller boy's arm go. "You two do whatever it is you need to do." She patted Jughead's cheek. "And remember… dinner is at six."

Betty took the arm that Jughead offered to her as soon as Cheryl was out of sight. He was grinning wildly for some reason and walking with a bit more pep in his step than he had since they arrived in the city. They wove their way through skinny streets and small buildings. Hardly a soul passed them on the sidewalk after they exited the garden. It was a silent stroll through a small town, embedded within a bustling city.

The streets opened up as they got farther from the Garden. Streets grew larger and cars started whizzing past. The young couple stopped in their tracks as the cityscape opened up in front of them. Their walk to the Garden hadn't provided much view of the city, and Betty was grateful that she got to experience this for the first time with Jughead, the only one who would understand the beauty of the architecture.

And Jughead was already lifting his camera. Click.

"Go ahead." Jughead said, pulling his arm away from hers. "Cheryl's gone and it's your turn after all."

The boy was already taking a few steps backward as he raised his camera to his eye. Betty turned in a quick circle. She wanted to just keep staring at the beautiful city, but at the same time wasn't sure how to be a proper model for Jughead's camera. She wasn't usually the one in front of the camera. When it was just the three girls, she'd take pictures of the other two when they weren't looking; she'd be the one taking the selfie, her arm stretched out in front of her and Veronica and Cheryl posing in the background. Betty never thought she looked very good in those photos, so they never saw the light of day.

"Don't look at me." Jughead sighed. He waved his hand, signaling her to turn around.

"But I like looking at you." Betty replied with a furtive wink.

The dark haired boy raised his eyebrows at her and lowered his camera. Long legs took just three strides to reach Betty. Large hands cupped her face and pulled her lips to his. It was the quickest kiss she'd ever had, the blink-and-you'll-miss-it kind. Then how was it still the greatest kiss she'd ever had. Each time this boy's lips touched hers was t he best time yet.

"You can look at me all you want later." Jughead was already backing away from the dumbstruck girl. "But right now, I want to get some shots. So turn around and look cute."

"How do I do that?"

"Just turn around." Click.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Betty was just too easy to take pictures of. Even when they'd reached the outdoor market Jughead couldn't keep the camera off her. At the moment, Betty was reaching for a tomato. Nothing about that should be even a little fascinating, but to Jughead it was. The way she stood on her tiptoes made her legs look even longer in the short skirt she was wearing. Her hair fell in a golden blonde curtain as she reached for the tomato at the top of the stack. And then, like a rubber band snapped back into place, she was flat on her feet and looking for her next victim…er, vegetable.

"Juggie?"

Jughead was ripped out of his daydreams of long, blonde hair running between his fingers when Betty called his name. "Yeah?"

"Can you go buy us some drinks for dinner? Some beer and wine maybe?"

"Where-?" But she was already pointing to a table hidden behind a fruit stand. "Gotcha."

Betty wandered off to a booth that looked to be selling pasta, while Jughead strode to the vendor selling bottles of wine, cider, and beer. Trying to get enough alcohol to satisfy six young adults with only two arms to hold it with was a feat. Two bottles of wine and a case of beer had ought to satisfy the group through dinner.

"Ready to make some spaghetti?" Betty's soft voice appeared immediately behind him.

"Born ready." And as much as he wanted a picture of the smile that spread across her lips, he was glad that he could experience the marvel through his own eyes.

The walk back to the hostel was grueling. The sidewalk was on a slight incline and the cargo was getting heavier by the minute.

"Okay, so serious question now." Jughead started. Betty glanced at him quickly, but remained focused on the building ahead that housed their destination. "Why did you volunteer for this?"

"To show off." Betty responded bluntly. "My skills will blow your mind."

"Oh, I'm sure they will." Jughead nudged the door open with his shoulder when they finally reached the building. "I didn't peg you for a chef."

"I'm not, really." The kitchen was hidden in the basement, away from the crowded halls of small bedrooms. They were alone in miniscule kitchen. It was dark, muggy, and about ten degrees cooler than the floor above. There was a dull stink in the air, typical of any basement left unused. "Aspiring. I'm hoping to get into a culinary program in the spring. For now, I'll just practice."

"Forgive me, but… spaghetti doesn't seem like the most complicated meal you could choose."

"Are you judging my decision, Jughead Jones?"

"Just… an observation."

"Good, because you will be in charge of the pasta and I'll be making the fresh tomato sauce. And with all the spare time we'll have by choosing an easy meal we can… do something else."

"Well, by all means. Let's get to it."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Betty held Jughead's hand under the table as the group sat for dinner in the lounge just around the corner from the kitchen. Glasses of red wine were poured by Archie, who poured just a little bit more for himself than the rest. The group sat and ate and drank and laughed well into the night. Even when they moved to the couches, Betty crossed her legs over Jughead's lap, and his hand rested on her thigh.

Jughead was laughing at something Archie said, a grin splitting his cheeks. His eyes were glazed over from the beers he'd been drinking. Reggie, of course, had gone out for a beer run shortly after finishing dinner. He'd chided Jughead, claiming that because this was Germany, home of Oktoberfest, they were getting drunk on beer tonight and every night while they were here.

Betty couldn't complain. She didn't feel the need to be so careful with Jughead in front of her friends. Any special attention she paid him could be attributed to the alcohol coursing her veins. At least, no one seemed to notice that she was practically sitting on the boys lap with his arm wrapped all the way around her waist, hand pressing against her stomach.

Betty could tell when the group was growing tired. Archie was sitting with his feet at the head of the sofa, his head hanging upside-down where his legs should be. In similar fashion, Veronica sat with her legs sprawled across Archie's chest and her head bobbing about as she began to fall asleep. Reggie and Cheryl, who had gotten handsy with each other two hours prior, were sitting together on the floor.

Betty was the only one still upright, though she was growing more exhausted by the minute. Jughead was snoring on her shoulder, the first to succumb to sleep. His breath was hot against her neck and his hair tickled her chin. Somehow, even as he slept, his hat stayed perched perfectly on his head. Betty knew she should probably round up her group of drunk and sleepy friends and make sure they got to bed, but Jughead's body warmth gave her a different feeling of warmth, and watching her best friends slowly falling asleep humbled her. They may be in country thousands of miles from home, but moments like this could happen anywhere.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jughead didn't remember getting to bed that night, and after another night of drinking, this time out on the town, all he could remember was Betty's hand leading him through the foreign streets and back to the safety of his bed.

On that final day, he woke up excited to move on to their next destination. As could be expected, Betty was already packed by the time he'd woken up. The last few hours in the city flew by in a blur of extravagant palaces, beer gardens on every other block, and long lines at the bus station.

It was just a short jaunt to the small village that would be their home for the next few days. Tiny houses lined the streets, the Bavarian Alps silhouetted behind them. The bus stop was only a few short blocks from their Airbnb, but the cobblestoned streets made the trek more difficult with their army of rolling luggage. The cottage was small, fitting with the rest of the village, with only two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a kitchen the size of a closet.

"I call this room!" Reggie called, stepping into one of the rooms. The rest of the group followed him in.

"V, I thought you said the place had six beds?" Betty questioned, side-stepping Reggie to get into the room. "This is a double bed."

"I realize that, obviously." Veronica followed the other girl into the room. Soon, all five of them, with the exception of Cheryl, were crowded into the small room. "There are five single beds in the other room. We'll draw straws for who gets the big bed."

"But I called it!" Reggie argued.

"Not how it works pal." Archie patted his shoulder. "The girls are in charge here."

Cheryl swept in, pushing her way to the center of the room. "Don't worry, I am here to save the day." In her hand she held six toothpicks, one broken in half. "Jughead, you go first."

Jughead didn't care whether he got the large bed or not, as one who often slept on a couch growing up, he was always thankful just to have a mattress. Regardless, he chose a toothpick from Cheryl's hand. He help up the losing stick. "Who's next?"

Each pull drawn was a loser, until the only two left were Betty and Cheryl. And since Cheryl couldn't draw, Betty held her fate in her own hands as she tried to choose. Cheryl had an amazing poker face, and didn't give even the slightest hint as to which would be the winner. Betty's hands hovered over her options, moving back and forth in order to elicit some sort of reaction from the redhead.

Finally, after seconds of suspense, Betty made her choice and pulled half of a toothpick out of Cheryl's hand, immediately jumping up in victory. Jughead grinned as the she hopped on the bed, jumping and dancing in circles. It was the best case scenario and he was glad she would get what was by far the most comfortable spot in the house, but he was a little disappointed that he wouldn't get to wake up and look over at her beautiful, sleeping form in the bed next to his.

"Fucking finally!" Betty boasted. "I never win anything!"

Jughead was so drawn to the girls excitement. The joyous smile on her face forced goosebumps to creep up his arms. Her excitement was truly contagious, and as the others exited the room dejectedly Jughead remained, smiling like an idiot at a girl that he desperately wished to kiss.

He understood why Betty didn't want to tell their friends about their almost-relationship, but that didn't mean he was happy about it. All he wanted to do was hold her hand, kiss her neck, show affection of some sort. Instead he was stuck waiting around after the others had moved on just for the hope that she'd give him the smallest of kisses. Just as he was about to get now.

Betty was already jumping off the bed right in front of Jughead. She placed a hand lightly on his chest, her body moving in for the inevitable-

"Guys, we're going to grab some dinner and drinks." Archie called. Betty jumped and pulled away, much to Jughead's disappointment. "You guys coming, or what?"

Betty threw a wink over her shoulder as she left the room. Jughead was left motionless, lips puckered and waiting.

"I'm kind of tired." Betty said, her voice finally pulling Jughead out of his trance. He followed Betty into the living space to see her giving hugs to her friends. Cheryl whispered something in her ear and Betty's cheeks flushed almost as red as the hair falling over Cheryl's shoulder. "Keep me company, Jug?"

Jughead smiled in response, waiting for the group to finally leave the small cottage. The click and lock of the door closing was music to Jughead's ears. Before he knew it, Betty was in his arms. Their lips met in a desperation that Jughead had never felt before. Her small hands were resting lightly on his arms her chest pressing against his own. With his hands against the small of her back, he held Betty close. He didn't dare pull away from her, even for a moment, with the fear that the moment they were lost in would end.

Instead, Betty's hands pressed against his chest and pushed Jughead backward. He expected a wall to form behind him, but none did. His shoulder brushed the door for the room he had just recently left. When the back of his knees hit the bed, Betty pulled her lips away, earning a disgruntled whine from Jughead.

He wasn't left waiting for long. Betty pushed him down on the bed and crawled over him. Jughead could barely move, his body paralyzed under the heat of Betty's body pressing into his. Her mouth moved against his and hands were in his hair.

"Jug."

"What?" He breathed in reply.

"What's wrong? You don't seem super into this…"

Jughead groaned when Betty sat up, her legs straddling his waist.

"No, I am. I am so into this. I'm just… in awe." Jughead finally found the strength to move his arms. He let his hands pull against her hips and her body fell over his once again. "I just can't believe," He paused, placing a soft kiss on her jaw. "How beautiful you are."

Betty kissed him again, smiling against his lips. At that precise moment Jughead's stomach let out a loud groan, causing Betty to pull away again.

"Fuck." Jughead groaned. Betty rolled fully off his body to lay next to him in the bed. "When will the interruptions end?"

"Don't be so melodramatic." Betty responded. "We'll just go get you some food, maybe turn on a movie, and then make out instead of actually watching the movie. Sound like a plan?"

Jughead grinned, this girl already knew him so well. "Let's get on with it then, shall we?"

Betty was in charge of getting food, while Jughead pulled out his laptop to find the perfect film for them to completely ignore after the first twenty minutes. And that's exactly what they did. Jughead inhaled his food faster than he'd ever done before, impatient to have Betty back in his arms. He draped an arm around Betty's shoulder while she continued to eat, and he wound his fingers through her hair.

The girl's small frame curled into his own, her legs curled around his own. Her lips were on his neck, kissing from his collarbone to his jaw and ending at his lips. By the time the credits rolled, Betty was fast asleep in Jughead's arms. Her head was nuzzled into his neck, and Jughead let his lips rest on the top of her head. He breathed in her scent and drifted off with her.

\----

Jughead wasn't next to her when Betty woke up. He must've gone back to his own bed before the others returned. Betty shivered in the empty bed, missing the warmth of another person. As cozy as the large bed was, it would be cozier if she wasn't alone. It was easier to get out of bed without Jughead's strong arms holding her against his warm body, and she was more motivated to get up and get ready for a new day of exploration.

Betty was surprised to find Veronica in the kitchen when she came into the living space.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty." Veronica cooed, pulling Betty into a fierce hug. 

"G'morning, what are you doing up so early?"

"Girl, we are seeing our first ever castle today, I have to look the part." Her best friend twirled in a circle, showing off a flowing green velvet dress accompanied by the pearl necklace that she wore with almost any outfit. Her hair was laid in a long straight curtain over her shoulders. "If only I'd packed my tiara."

"You look beautiful, V."

"Hey, don't give her all the credit." Cheryl appeared out of the bathroom, a vision in white. Her long red hair fell in curls over a white chiffon dress. Her red lips matched her classic fingernail color. "Who do you think is responsible for that smokey eye?"

"Of course, the master makeup artists is up early for castle day." Betty allowed a crushing hug from her other best friend. "So, are you guys going to help me get ready, or what?"

Matching squeals erupted from the two girls. They were always open for a makeover, especially on Betty, who often opted to ignore the fashion advice from her friends. However, it wasn't every day you got to explore a castle, regardless of the fact that Betty knew that this particular castle was built in the late nineteenth century, much later than the genuine castles of medieval Europe. Neuschwanstein castle was, however, one of the most beautiful castles Betty could imagine, at least from the pictures she'd seen.

The girls dressed Betty in a bright pink dress, one of only two dresses she'd packed for the trip. She allowed Veronica to curl her hair, while Cheryl covered her face in a layer of foundation, applying eyeliner, a nude eye shadow, and a thick coat of mascara. Betty stopped her from adding a matte pink lipstick, opting instead for her usual lip gloss.

"So, Betty… tell us about you and Jughead." Cheryl suggested. "What's going on there?"

Betty swore her heart was going to beat out of her chest.

"Betty and Jughead?" Veronica scoffed. "No way… I would know if there was something there."

"Come on, Ronnie. You're just too caught up with Archie to see what's right under your nose. I guarantee you they got it on last night while we were out."

Betty wasn't sure if she wanted to butt in and rebuke Cheryl's comments, besides she was half right. Veronica didn't give her a chance to speak.

"I'm telling you, there's no way. I've been trying to set Betty up with eligible bachelors for the past year, there's no way she got with Jughead in less than a week!"

"Betty…" Cheryl sighed. "Why don't you just tell her?"

Suddenly both sets of eyes were on Betty, awaiting her response. Eyes wide and heart pounding, she gave a simple shrug.

"OH MY GOD!" Veronica shouted. "Why didn't you tell me?"

A sudden knock at the door made all three girls jump. "Everything okay in there?" Archie's voice came from the other side of Betty's door.

"We're fine, Archiekins. We'll be out in a minute." She lowered her voice. "Tell me everything."

"There's nothing to tell, V." Betty blushed. "We like each other, that's it."

"That's it?" Cheryl laughed. "Betty, I have never seen you so enamored with a boy before, not even Trev. This guy is something special for you. I can tell."

"Betty and Jughead, sitting in a tree…" Veronica was already making kissy faces at her. This is precisely why she didn't want anyone to know.

"Just stop, Veronica. We haven't even known each other very long, and it's only like this little fling. It's not like this will go anywhere. I just want to enjoy the time we have."

"But, you've had sex right?"

"Veronica!" Betty gasped. She knew her best friend was forward, but not to that extent. "No! We've only kissed. Can we drop it now?"

"I will drop it, only if you promise to keep me updated."

"Fine, fine. I promise, now let's go. We've got a castle to see and boys to impress with our drop dead gorgeous outfits."

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jughead felt terribly underdressed surrounded by the three girls. He couldn't take his eyes off Betty; even when they arrived at the very definition of a fairytale castle he was constantly pulling his eyes away to glance at Betty's body.

Jughead couldn't help but notice Archie swing his arm over Veronica's shoulder, and Jughead wished he could do the same with Betty. Just walking near her was torture, when all he wanted was skin contact. What was wrong with him? Jughead had never felt this way before; this neverending need to be with someone and touching them.

As if answering his prayers, Betty reached out and took his hand. That was something she'd never done while their friends were around and sober.

"What are you doing?" Jughead smiled.

"Holding hands with my own personal Prince Charming, with a crown and everything." Betty responded, tugging at his beanie.

"Well, I had to wear something to match the whole fairytale princess thing you have going on."

"You're getting pictures, right?"

"Of you, always."

Jughead swore Betty's smile could light up the world, and when she kissed his cheek he knew that his smile was a mirror image of hers. Click.

"Did you just touch my camera?" Jughead mock-scolded. "And take a picture of you kissing me?"

The girl shrugged, "Someone had to."

"Betty Cooper, you never cease to amaze me."

The rest of the day seemed to pass in a blur. Jughead held his camera in one hand and Betty's in the other. Even after spending hours at the castle, he never got sick of the view. In fact, even when they finally left the castle, Jughead's view remained the best he'd ever seen.

He stayed in with Betty again that night, while the others went to a nearby pub. For the second night in a row, Betty fell asleep in his arms. When two o'clock came around he began to ease himself away from Betty to return to his own bed. Before he could extract himself, Betty hooked her arms around his waist.

"Stay." She pulled him in and hooked a leg over his body. "Cheryl and Veronica know… I presume that means Archie and Reggie know too."

"Good." Jughead replied. "I was hoping we could start kissing in public."

"You know it." She placed a soft kiss on his lips as Jughead fell back into the bed. "Prague won't know what hit it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on Tumblr @thesecretfandom


	3. The Golden City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Prague isn't just a city, but an entity of some kind."  
> -Sezin Koehler
> 
> Betty and Jughead have gone public and aren't holding back in this new city.

Prague had Betty feeling refreshed an adventurous. She was the first one off the train, somehow managing to maneuver all of her bags through the dark, crowded station and onto the escalator in no time at all. Jughead kept pace behind her, his chest pressing against her back on the escalator that was quickly gaining more foot traffic as more pedestrians exited the train.

They emerged into the bright, midday sun of a new city. Betty stopped just to the side of the station doors and allowed the rest of her friends to catch up as she pulled up a map on her phone. Cheryl caught up last, struggling with her bags. For once, there was no one offering to help her. Even Reggie was laughing as he watched her stumble over the sidewalk.

"Hostel is three blocks that way." Betty pointed. "Check-in time is in one hour so we should probably grab lunch somewhere."

Jughead held Betty's hand as they ate lunch, this time holding her hand above the table between their two plates. The other's watched them curiously, just the other day no one knew about their relationship and now they were publicly showing their affection for each other. Jughead didn't seem to notice his friends eyeing him, or he simply didn't care. Instead, he watched Betty as she laid out tentative plans for the next few days.

"Old Town Square tomorrow, there's all sorts of cool old buildings and shops, and the Astronomical clock tower. Then on Saturday we'll go to the Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral. That should take up a whole day. When is our flight on Sunday, V?"

"Flight leaves at six o'clock in the morning. And we didn't book Saturday night at the hostel so we'll have to go to the airport the night before."

"You expect me to sleep at the airport?" Cheryl scoffed. "No way."

"By all means, Cher…" Veronica responded coolly, "You can book yourself an extra night in the airport hotel, but it's gonna cost you."

"Ugh, we don't have any other plans on Sunday, right?"

"Not as of yet." Betty responded. "Don't worry, Cheryl. You'll get your beauty rest."

"Trust me, I don't need beauty rest." Cheryl munched on her salad. "I need my personality rest. I'm not so nice when I'm tired."

At the other end of the table Reggie mumbled under his breath. "You can say that again." Cheryl took no notice.

"Let's not talk about when we're leaving," Jughead said, squeezing Betty's hand. "Let's just enjoy the time we're here."

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Their hostel was huge. Four floors, but with wide open hallways, large bathrooms, and a room that was actually large enough to fit the six occupants. This time, none of the beds where bunked. Instead, six single beds lined the walls. There was a large balcony spanning the room, with only a small door leading out.

Jughead threw his bags on the bed next to the one Betty has chosen. She was already heading toward the balcony and tugged at the old wooden door. She yanked hard a few times but to no avail. The door wouldn't budge.

"Jug, come open the door for me, will you?"

"You sure it isn't locked?" He responded, but sauntered over to her anyway.

Betty was fidgeting with the door handle, looking for some way to get it open. "Well, there's a keyhole but no…"

"Key?" Jughead found an old fashioned iron key sitting on the windowsill. He held it out for Betty and she took it with a soft brush of their fingertips.

She pushed the key into the lock and twisted. No luck. She twisted it the other way, but the door still wouldn't open.

"Jug?"

"What makes you think I'll be able to open it? If the key doesn't work then it doesn't work."

"Fine, Mr. Giver-Upper." Betty put the key back on the windowsill and pulled up on the bottom of the frame. "I'll find my own way out."

Betty climbed through the open window onto the balcony. When she'd stepped through she turned back to Jughead, offering an irresistible smile and a little wag of her finger as invitation. Jughead followed her through the window, albeit not nearly as gracefully as Betty.

Betty sat on the wide guard rail, staring out at the city beyond. The orange rooftops spread out over the city beyond like a field of flowers. "I don't think I could ever get sick of this view."

Jughead was barely listening. Instead he pulled Betty off the ledge and into his chest, kissing her hard for all of their friends to see. "I know I'll never get sick of the view."

Betty pulled back a little and punched his shoulder. "Are you trying to be romantic?" She giggled. She leaned in closer again, her lips brushing his. "Because it's working."

"You think that was romantic?" Jughead responded. "You're an easy girl to please."

"Not too easy." She responded with a wink. Betty pushed Jughead against the wall next to the window and reached in behind him. When she pulled back she was holding Jughead's camera, which he had left sitting on the windowsill. She took a few steps back and pointed the camera at him.

"Hey, that's mine." Jughead took the camera from the girl standing before him. He turned it to her, raising it to his eye. At the same time, Betty pulled her phone from her pocket, aiming her much less interesting camera at him. Click.

"You think you're the only one who can take pictures? Oh, and this is a good one."

"Let me see." Jughead lunged toward Betty and made grabby hands at her phone. She quickly hid her hands behind her back, leaving Jughead empty handed.

"Not so fast. I can't risk letting you take this and possibly deleting a perfectly good photo. I don't care how much you hate having your picture taken."

"I promise I won't delete it." He stepped gently toward Betty. He set his hands on her shoulders, slowly letting them slide down her arms until his hands reached hers. "Just let me see."

Betty finally let him take the phone from her and he inspected the photo carefully.

"Not bad, you've got an eye for photography." He handed the phone back. "But I still think you make a better model." Click.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning came with a burst of sunlight through the many large windows lining the room. Betty rolled in her small bed and covered her head with a pillow. It was just too damn bright. Next to her, Jughead also fidgeted in his sleep and flung an arm over, landing heavily on Betty's back. She'd almost forgotten that he'd pushed his bed against hers before they went to sleep last night. She couldn't help but smile when his hand brushed her bare arm. With a groan, his arm pulled away. Betty could hear his bed creak as the boy woke up.

He was silent for a long moment. Long enough that Betty was sure he had fallen back asleep. With no warning, his warm body was looming over her. He pulled back the covers and climbed into the bed with her. Arms squirmed around her waist and his breath on her neck gave her goose bumps.

"Betty, are you awake?" He whispered.

"Mm hm…" She sighed and let her hands move to his neck.

Jughead pushed the pillow off of her head, and now she could see his droopy, sleep-filled eyes. His lips lay softly on her shoulder as he breathed slowly. "Did I wake you?"

"No, I was up already." She turned in his arms. "What time is it?"

"Nine o'clock."

"Ugh… It's too early to be this hungry." As if on cue, Betty's stomach let out a loud moan.

"You're hungry? We can go grab breakfast downstairs."

Betty kissed his forehead. "How did I know you would say that?"

"I never back away from a meal."

The others had all woken up by the time they returned to the room. Reggie was on the balcony, not so discretely writing in his journal. Archie was still laying on his bed, fully dressed and above the covers, idly scrolling through his phone. The girls, as usual, are sitting together in front of a mirror putting the finishing touches on their makeup.

"We're leaving in thirty minutes." Veronica said. She patted the floor next to her. "Join me, Betty."

Veronica offered her case of makeup to Betty, knowing well that she preferred to do it herself. In the mirror Betty could see Jughead perched on the end of his bed. He had his laptop open and was typing furiously. Photographer, writer, was there anything this guy wasn't good at? Come to think of it, Betty had noticed him doodling on a napkin on the train, and it was no masterpiece.

"What are you looking at?" Jughead's voice pulled her out of her daydream.

"Nothing!" Betty responded. She pulled out her lip gloss wand and refused to look back at him.

"It's a mirror, Betts. It works both ways. You can see me and I can see you."

"Oh my God!" Cheryl moaned. "Would you two stop flirting for two seconds? It's nauseating."

Betty rolled her eyes. Ever since Cheryl and Reggie had a falling out while in the alps, she'd been particularly annoyed at everything. It was probably about time that Veronica and Betty gave Cheryl some much needed attention before she completely loses it.

"Sorry, Cher. How about a girls day?" Betty offered. "You, me, Veronica…no boys, no hand holding until… five o'clock."

"You sure you can pull yourself away from your boyfriend for that long?"

"Boyf-" Betty turned to look at Jughead; he shrugged.

"Give it a rest, Betty. Just because you haven't said the word doesn't mean it isn't true." Cheryl slung her purse over her shoulder. "Now go kiss him goodbye so we can go!"

Betty sighed, but followed Cheryl's instructions anyway. She grabbed Jughead's cheek in her hands and planted a quick kiss on his lips. "See you later, boyfriend." She whispered. "We'll meet at the Astronomical Clock Tower at five o'clock."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jughead didn't realize how idiotic his friends were until he had to spend a full day with them. Betty's company was much more intelligent than these two Neanderthals. Any random person on the street could tell that the two guys were American's. Hell, they had varsity football player written all over them.

"Dude, Cheryl is a psychopath." Reggie said. "The first few days it was like she was totally into me. Hanging on my arm, kissing my neck, grabbing my ass. Then I try to turn on the moves when we were in the Alps and smack! She slaps me right in the face."

"Reggie? Got turned down by a woman?" Archie held a hand to his chest, feigning shock. " That's a first."

"Stuff it, Andrews."

"What did you do?" Jughead asked, picking up his pace so he was walking next to Reggie. "Cheryl doesn't seem like the type to be afraid of anything."

"Nah, she didn't seem scared, just… mad." He paused for a second and pointed at a building, then at Jughead's camera. That's Reggie for you; distracted by everything. "So, remember that last night in the Alps? Cheryl and I left the bar early, that was my first clue, and we were totally making out. Like, hardcore. It was awesome."

Of course Reggie would focus on that. Granted, all Jughead wanted to think about was Betty's soft pink lips, slightly sticky with gloss. So maybe Jughead was being hypocritical.

"Anyway, I start to put my hand down her pants and she seems into it, you know."

"Oh God."

"And I'm thinking I'm finally gonna get laid. And that's when she slaps me. I don't know what I did."

"That's rough, man." Archie says clapping Reggie's shoulder.

"Come on, Reg, you must've said something or maybe she wasn't really into it. I mean, did you even ask her?" Jughead offered.

"Yeah, I mean… I was like 'Wanna fuck?' And then she hit me."

Jughead and Archie rolled their eyes in unison. Reggie was a special kind of stupid.

"Are you serious?" Archie shoots a look at Jughead; a look that said 'Is this guy for real?' Jughead was all too familiar with this particular look. The idiots in high school really test a person's patience. "You were right, Jug. Reggie really is an idiot."

"Hey!"

"Hey, it's nothing personal." Archie shrugged. He put a consoling hand on Reggie's shoulder. "Dude, you don't just ask a girl if she wants to fuck. You almost got it right, I'll give you that."

"Almost? He said the exact wrong thing."

"I mean up until that point, Jug." Archie spoke as if Jughead was the idiot. "What you say instead is, 'Do you want to…' pause for effect, 'do this? I'll only do it if you want to.' And there you go."

"Does that shit really work?" Jughead wouldn't say he has a lot of experience with women. In fact, he doesn't have any experience with women aside from Betty.

"Don't knock it until you try it, Jug. I've seduced more women than you…"

"That's not hard to beat." Reggie interrupted.

"I'm hurt, Reggie, really. How could you say something like that?" Jughead responded sarcastically.

The conversation ended there. Archie seemed to have reached the depth of his wisdom on the subject and Reggie abruptly turned off and walked toward a vendor selling something that looked like a funnel cake in the shape of a cone. Reggie handed over a few coins in exchange for the dessert.

Jughead glanced at the clock on his phone. Finally, it was almost time for this guys day out to be over. They arrived at the clock tower fifteen minutes early. It really was a sight to behold. Gold numbers on a colorful backdrop, blue to a dark orange, and the astrological signs marking the time of year.

And as he pulled his camera to his eye a pair of hands pinched his sides making Jughead nearly jump out of skin and, in the process, smack himself in the corner of his eye with the camera. 

Jughead wasn't surprised to turn around and find Betty, a shocked look on her face as if he was the one who'd just attacked her.

"Oh, I'm sorry Jug! Did that hurt?"

Betty's hands were on his cheeks in an instant, her eyes searching his face for any sign of injury. He didn't feel any pain, but it was nice to have someone worrying about him so he let her hold his face a little longer.

"Where did it hit you?"

Jughead pointed to the bone between his temple and his eye. Betty raised herself onto her tiptoes and placed a kiss to the spot on Jughead's face.

"I think I hit it here too." Jughead added, pointing to his lips.

"Are you trying to take advantage of me, Jughead Jones?"

Jughead slid his hands around his girlfriend's waist and pulled her body against his. It had only been six hours, but he had already come to miss her.

"I just figured if I played my cards right that you'd kiss me." He smiled a little, his lips just barely curving at the ends.

"All you had to do was ask."

They leaned in at the same time and when their lips met the massive clock looming over them began to chime.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So, Reggie apologized for being an absolute ass the other night, so I guess I'll forgive him." The boys had left for breakfast while the girls got ready in the room. Cheryl was going on and on about Reggie who, just yesterday, was deemed a horny pig by the fiery redhead. But last night he had asked to speak to her privately and when they'd returned Cheryl was holding his arm again.

"Wow, Cher. I don't know if I've ever seen you forgive someone." Betty responded. "Didn't you see one of your boyfriends in high school talking to another girl and break up with him on the spot?"

Cheryl waved a hand nonchalantly. "That was high school. I'm not nearly so vapid now as I was then."

"Thank God for that." Veronica responded snidely.

"Anyway, this is good news for all of us." Cheryl clapped her hands together. "Yesterday was girls only, today is couples only. Each of us with our guys, hanging out, making out, whatever."

"Did you talk to the guys about this already?" Betty asked.

"Oh, Betty darling. Not one of those boys would turn down alone time with three beautiful women like ourselves."

She had a point there. The three boys were more than happy to go their separate ways for the day. Jughead took Betty's hand as soon as they exited their building, and he didn't let go during their walk. Betty wasn't even sure where he was leading her; the streets curved and winded to the point that she wasn't even sure which direction they were headed anymore. Betty was certain that they'd been walking in circles when suddenly they stepped out into an open street corner.

"Look, there's Charles Bridge…" Jughead pointed down the street. "And up there is the castle."

"Wow, it's amazing. Do you want to go to the castle first?"

"No," Jughead glanced at Betty. Her shining eyes were looking into his. She was waiting for a response, ready to take on the world with his hand in hers. "No, let's save that for last. We'll take the long way. See what wonders we come across on the way."

Betty grinned ear to ear and began to pull Jughead across the road when the green 'Walk' sign lit up.

"Let's start here."

On the other side of the road a bridge crossed the river. Halfway through the bridge a small island poked out of the water, a small elevator offering passage down to the small park that adorned the piece of land. It seemed that there was an event going on. A stage was set up beside the bridge, music blaring through speakers and a crowd gathered playing games, dancing, and eating.

Jughead handed over a few coins to a vendor, hungry as usual. He even offered the plate to Betty, something he would never do for anyone else. They flowed through the crowd together, taking in the local culture.

Betty kept an arm around Jughead's waist as he led her through the crowd toward the rocky edge of the tiny island. A long dock spanned one side of the island, a menagerie of boats big and small lined up. A clerk sat behind a small table under a blue tent typing away on his phone. Betty poked her boyfriend's stomach and pointed at one of the boats.

"Take me for a ride?" She smiled sweetly, batting her eyelashes.

"What do I get in return?"

Betty kissed him lightly on the cheek. "And there's more where that came from."

She left him in that spot as she skipped ahead onto the dock. Jughead paid the clerk and he led them to a small paddleboat. Jughead got in first and held his hand out to help Betty in. They paddled out a short distance upstream and let the boat float back with the current.

Betty stared at Jughead as he pulled out his camera again. He looked so good when he was happy, and right now he seemed happier than ever. Betty reached a hand slowly to rest on his knee making Jughead lower his camera to look at her.

"I'm so glad I met you." She said. "I know it's only been a week, but I really like you."

Jughead patted her hand, grinning at her. "I like you too… a lot."

"Don't get all sappy on me, Jug." She moved her hand to his neck and pulled softly on his hair.

"I thought girls liked sappy."

"Oh, we do." Betty leaned across the boat to kiss him. The boat wobbled when she tried and their lips bumped before she pulled back, landing safely in her seat without tipping the boat. "And that's why I didn't want you getting too sappy."

"Why's that?"

"Because it'll make me want to kiss you… a lot."

"And the problem is?"

"Did you not see what just happened there...? I almost tipped the boat." Betty wiggled her hips for effect.

"What, are you afraid of getting a little wet?" Jughead dipped his hand in the water and threw a bit of water at Betty.

"Hey!" She splashed him back. "Getting a little wet is different from being completely soaked and drowning in a river thousands of miles from home."

"I would save you before you could drown."

"How thoughtful."

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Betty starred in many of the photos that Jughead took as they made their way to Prague's famous Charles Bridge. He had to practically drag her up the steep hill leading to the castle. She insisted that he be in some of the photos and even convinced him to let a stranger take hold of the camera to get a photo of the two of them together.

"You were right, Jughead." She said as they sat in a garden overlooking the city below. "I'm glad we came here last, so we could see the sunset."

"I knew you'd like that." He slung an arm over her shoulder and kissed her temple. "Now come on. We should get back to the hostel and grab our stuff. We'll want to get our stuff before the desk staff leaves."

"Just five more minutes."

"Okay, but remember… we have plenty more sunsets waiting for us in Greece. I hear Athens and Corfu are beautiful at this time of the year. In fact, I hear they're beautiful all the time."

"Fine, you've convinced me." Betty stood up, bringing Jughead with her. Before they began the trek back to the hostel she pulled him in for a kiss. She held the back of his neck and kissed him slowly. Jughead savored the taste of her lips, cinnamon and sugar from the dessert they'd shared earlier.

Betty's tongue swiped across his lips and their tongues collided in a moment of passion. His hands slid around her waist and pulled her tightly against him, leaving no space between their warm bodies. But the moment was destined to end. They were standing in a public garden that was set to close in a few short minutes, and they had a room to share just two cities away.

Betty pulled her lips away. "Greece won't wait forever. Let's go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on Tumblr @thesecretfandom


	4. Land of the Gods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Look what I got." Betty said, her voice sing-songy. She looped the strap around her neck as she waved the camera at Veronica.
> 
> "How did you get that away from him?" Veronica laughed.
> 
> Betty shrugged. "I have nimble fingers… and he was fast asleep."
> 
> "Betty Cooper gone bad." Veronica responded with a wink. "Let's take advantage of that."  
> \---------------------------------------  
> Finally back with another chapter! Hope you enjoy!

"Nobody speak to me for the rest of the day." Cheryl fell onto the bed closest to the door. Immediately she crawled under the covers and proceeded to fall asleep. Reggie lugged her bags into the room after her. It was truly amazing how quickly he fell under her spell once again.

Jughead was grateful that the girl was finally asleep. She hadn't slept all night while they crashed at the airport, successfully talking up a storm and keeping everyone else awake while they waited to board. They'd arrived at the airport in Prague late that night and set up camp at a Starbucks on the first floor, prepared to wait out for their early morning flight.

Jughead didn't manage to sleep at all through Cheryl's incessant yammering, though Betty and Veronica didn't seem to have any issues. While Jughead sat on one end a plush couch, Betty sprawled across the rest of the couch with her head rested on Jughead's lap, sleeping soundly. Veronica, likewise, took up an entire couch to herself; Archie, Cheryl, and Reggie sat cross-legged on the floor in front of her playing a card game on the coffee table set between the two couches.

Betty had explained to Jughead as they passed through security just how many sleepovers the three girls had shared. Cheryl had always been one to talk, even in her sleep, so she and Veronica had learned to sleep through her voice.

Jughead had hoped to find some peace on the three hour flight to Athens, but found no such luck. Veronica came to his seat requesting that he switch with her so she could talk to Betty. He was so exhausted by then that he didn't even bother to argue, but moved himself to the seat next to Archie. Unfortunately for him, Archie was in a talkative mood that morning.

"Jug, you wouldn't believe how awesome Veronica is." Archie said animatedly.

"Oh wouldn't I?" Jughead yawned.

"Yeah dude, I really like her. I think she could be someone special, you know?"

"That's what you said about your last girlfriend, Arch. What make you so sure this time?"

"I have never said that before." Archie replied defiantly.

"'Dude, I really like Val. She's something special.'" Jughead mocked.

Archie pointed an accusing finger right in Jughead's face. "See? I phrased it entirely differently."

"Oh yes, Archie." He responded sarcastically. "You really are a changed man."

"Would you cut it out, Jug? Could you just be happy for me, please?" Jughead did have to stop an wonder why he was giving Archie such a hard time. Maybe he was just tired. Jughead always got a little extra sarcastic when he was tired.

"Okay, okay… I'm happy for you. Why are you telling me this now?"

"I want to take our relationship to the next step… you know?" Archie scratched his neck. "We'll have our own room when we get to Corfu and I was hoping we would…"

Jughead stuck his fingers in his ears. "La la la. I can't hear you!" Jughead was so not equipped to handle this conversation.

Archie reached over and pulled his arms away from his head. "Grow up, will you? I wasn't going to go into any detail. I just need your help with something."

"Sorry, Arch," Jughead shrugged. "Unfortunately I've got far less experience in that area… I can't give you any pro tips."

Archie just rolled his eyes. Sometimes it was just so hard for him to keep Jughead on topic. "I don't know if Veronica feels the same way. Like, I know she wants to move things along, but I don't know what that means exactly. I don't want to make a fool of myself."

"Can't help you with that one either, pal."

"Can you talk to Betty about it?" Archie suddenly said. "She can talk to Veronica and see what she expects, or if we're on the same page or whatever."

"What is this, high school?" Jughead slumped back in his seat as the plane bumped over a pocket of air.

"Please, Jughead?" Archie gave him big, brown puppy-dog eyes.

"Fine." Jughead relented. "I'll ask her, but I can't guarantee anything. Can I go to sleep now?"

Jughead was just about to lean back and close his eyes when the intercom beeped overhead. "Attention passengers we will be landing in fifteen minutes. The current temperature is thirty degrees and the local time is nine o'clock. We ask that you please fold up your tray tables and return your seats to their upright positions. Thank you for choosing EasyJet and enjoy the rest of your flight."

Jughead sighed and pulled his seat up. Sleep really was an elusive thing.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Betty was wide awake and ready to explore the ancient Grecian city of Athens. Betty bounced on Jughead's bed, where he lay with his beanie pulled over his eyes.

"Juggie!" She whined, flopping down next to him. She pulled the beanie away from his head, allowing the sunshine to flash over his eyes, which he held squinted shut. "Jughead?"

He peeked an eye open, but flinched against the bright morning sunlight. He scrunched his nose at Betty, for once hoping she'd leave him alone so he could sleep.

"Poor sleepy boy." She brushed her hand through his thick, black hair, moving a few rogue strands away from his eyes. "I'll forgive you just this once, so rest up."

Betty kissed Jughead's forehead and threw the beanie back over his eyes before retreating back to her own bed. She glanced around the room, but it seemed everyone else was either sleeping or close to it. Everyone except for one black haired girl scrolling through her phone.

"V?" Betty said. "You down for an adventure?"

Veronica raised her head, a tiny smile rising on her lips. "I thought you'd never ask. Just let me get dressed."

Of course, Veronica was already more dressed than a person who slept in an airport should be. Her string of pearls was permanently strung around her neck, her faded grey skinny jeans only slightly wrinkled from twenty-four hour wear. As it turn out, when Veronica said she'd get dressed she actually meant changing her shirt. Likewise, Betty swapped out the long-sleeved T-shirt she was wearing for a dark green tank, perfect for the hot Mediterranean day.

The two girls wore their sensible shoes for a walk through the city. It was a short walk to the Acropolis, which they'd seen only briefly from a distance on their way to their hostel. Betty marveled at the old ruins perched on top of the hill. It was gorgeous, really, despite the worn down state of the ancient buildings. She could only imagine what this place looked like when it was brand new.

Veronica was already snapping pictures like a mad woman, and Betty could see why. She slipped her hand into her backpack and pulled out the object she had smuggled out of the hostel. Jughead's camera already felt so familiar and comfortable in her hands, despite the fact that Jughead rarely let her hold it.

"Look what I got." Betty said, her voice sing-songy. She looped the strap around her neck as she waved the camera at Veronica.

"How did you get that away from him?" Veronica laughed.

Betty shrugged. "I have nimble fingers… and he was fast asleep."

"Betty Cooper gone bad." Veronica responded with a wink. "Let's take advantage of that."

They decided to refrain from exploring the Acropolis until the whole group was together again and headed into the first souvenir shop they found. Knick knacks covered every square inch of space, magnets hung from any metal object and T-shirts boasted the goddess Athena and the image of the Parthenon.

"So…" Betty snuck up behind Veronica, who was trying on sunglasses in front of a miniature mirror. "Jughead talked with Archie on the plane."

Veronica spun around so quickly Betty thought she'd get whiplash.

"Did Archie say something about me?" She beamed. "I mean, he must have otherwise you wouldn't be bringing it up, right?"

"Jughead wouldn't give me all the details, but apparently Archie wants to 'take your relationship to the next level' or something? Poor kid is too nervous to say anything to you, so he had to tell Jughead to tell me to tell you."

"Sex." Veronica said bluntly, a smirk crossing her lips.

"Excuse me?" Betty peeked around the crowded shop, glad that no one was giving them strange stares.

"Betty, when a boy says they want to 'go to the next level' that means they want to have sex." Veronica spoke to her as if she was a child.

"So... what am I supposed to tell Jughead? To tell Archie, I mean?"

Veronica maneuvered herself between Betty and a table full of snow globes and wandered up to the register. She slid over a few coins in exchange for the pair of sunglasses she had chosen. Betty followed her friend out of the shop and into the warm morning air. It wasn't until then that Veronica finally responded.

"You can tell him I say yes."

"Just yes? He'll know what that means?"

"Probably not," Veronica shrugged. "But that's what makes it so fun."

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

His camera was gone. It was fucking gone! He could have sworn he had it around his neck when they checked in to their room, but it was nowhere to be seen. Maybe it was in his suitcase, but he would never put it there. He checked anyway. While he was busy throwing clothes from his suitcase to the floor behind him the door creaked open and two girls marched in toting bags of souvenirs.

Jughead whipped his head around at the noise and nearly fainted when he saw Betty. His camera was hanging around her neck. For a moment Jughead could only stare blankly as the girl set her bags on the floor and threw a wave in his direction.

Betty didn't seem to notice his obvious stupor. Jughead stood from his bed and walked the short distance to Betty. She raised her arms, expecting him to come in for a hug, but Jughead was focused on her chest. He reached forward silently and cradled his camera in his hands, while Betty stood dumbfounded.

"Oh thank God you're okay." Jughead placed a gentle kiss to the camera dramatically.

Betty raised her hands in defeat. "Okay, who drugged him?"

Meanwhile, Jughead slid the camera's strap over Betty's head and retreated. "Betty, you can't just take Winston away without telling me! I was worried sick…"

"Winston?" Betty sat next to Jughead on his bed. She never realized Jughead could be so dramatic.

"You don't even know his name!?"

"You never told me it…" She caught herself. "He had a name."

Jughead just scowled at her as he held Winston protectively in his arms. "Don't worry little buddy, the crazy lady can't hurt you anymore."

"Jesus Christ, Jughead." Betty sighed and fell back on his pillow. "We were only gone for a few hours… shouldn't you still be sleeping?"

"I have this sixth sense that tells me when something very important to me is out having fun without me." Jughead finally peeled his attention away from his camera to stare down at the blonde haired girl dozing on his pillow. She raised an eyebrow at him and he turned back to his camera. "Now, Winston… you can't just go out alone with my girlfriend. You might make me jealous… and you don't want to see me jealous."

Betty giggled and kicked Jughead lightly in the back. "You almost had me believing you were actually mad for a minute."

"Oh I am mad!" Jughead curled his body around Betty's and pressed a kiss to her neck. "I'm mad at Winston for trying to steal my girlfriend."

The blush that crept up Betty's neck was hot, spreading from where Jughead's lips lay on her skin. A tiny smile wove its way onto her lips. "That's the first time you've said that word out loud."

"Yeah, well… don't get used to it." 'Jughead pulled the covers over their heads, blocking out the others who were still shuffling around the small room. Jughead pressed his lips to Betty's ear so that only she could hear him. "I will use that word sparingly… very sparingly."

"No funny business under those covers!" Veronica's voice broke through, interrupting their moment. "We're headed out for mid-afternoon drinks. Obviously, you won't be joining us."

Betty and Jughead played the silent game, waiting for their roommates to slip out the door and leave them in solitude. Jughead's soft breath brushed over Betty's skin, goosebumps rising on her skin as he dragged the tips of his fingers up her arms.

"I'm so sleepy." Betty whispered, finally breaking the silence.

"Me too." Jughead wiggled a little bit, getting comfortable in the bed with Betty's body pressed against his. His eyes fought to stay open, but the sleep deprivation weighed heavily on his lids. Like a string was attached to his lid and someone on the other end pulled his eyes closed.

Betty traced shapes on Jughead's chest, further lulling him to sleep until…

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Before they actually went to sleep that night, Jughead pulled Betty's bed next to his, she was still cuddled up on his side of the bed, his laptop open in front of her and a cup of tea in her hands. Jughead, however, accidentally made eye contact with Archie from across the room. Archie cocked his head toward the door, motioning for Jughead to follow him.

Archie shut the door quietly behind him and turned to his friend. "So? Did Betty say anything about you-know-who?"

"Voldemort?" Jughead shook his head and lowered his voice to a whisper."No… I still don't think she's over Fred honestly. She doesn't like to talk about it."

"Okay…" Archie sighed. He decided to play along. "So if she won't talk about Voldemort, will she talk about Veronica?"

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that." Jughead glanced behind him dramatically, making sure no one was listening in… as if this was some huge secret. "Veronica says… yes."

"Yes?" Archie scrunched up his face. "What does that mean?"

"Betty said you would know what it means…" Jughead paused. "But she also said that you probably wouldn't know what that means, so she also told me that yes, you and Veronica are on the same page. Are we done here? Because I too have a beautiful girl in my bed that I'd like to get back to."

Archie started to say something, but Jughead was already walking away. Betty pulled back the covers for him to slide in next to her and offered him one half of the headphones they shared as she hit the play button on whatever movie she had chosen. Jughead didn't care, he wasn't going to be watching the movie anyway.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

After sleeping the entire day before, everyone woke up early the next morning. This made for an easy morning walk to the Acropolis of Athens and relatively small crowds considering the popularity of the area. It was such a vast difference from the busy Sunday afternoon that Betty and Veronica experienced the day before. There were a few straggling tourists trying to beat the midday rush, but the lines were short and the group got to the front in no time at all.

"This is what we came to look at?" Cheryl complained as Betty excitedly pulled Jughead forward to the Parthenon sitting on top of the hill. "It's just a pile of rocks."

"You know, Cher… the Parthenon was a temple honoring the goddess Athena, which Athens was named for." Jughead said. Betty was only slightly shocked at his unending wisdom on various subjects.

"And I care why?" Cheryl crossed her arms, scrunching up her nose.

"Goddess of War, she was Zeus' favorite child." Jughead shrugged and smirked at her. "She reminds me of you."

Cheryl's face softened. "That… is the best compliment anyone has ever given me! Okay, now do Betty!"

"Excuse me?"

"She wants you to pick which goddess I would be." Betty giggled. Boys really did only have one thing on their minds apparently.

Jughead glanced at Betty in his peripheral vision. She had an arm wrapped around his waist as she and the others waited for his response. He knew, right away what his answer would be. He slung an arm over Betty's shoulder as he finally responded.

"Betty is Aphrodite, Goddess of Love and Beauty."

His friends faked gagging motions, while Betty nuzzled into his shoulder.

"Okay, okay…" Veronica slapped Archie, who was still pretending to be sick. "What about me?"

He may be walking a fine line with the answer he wanted to give, but decided that Veronica would be a good sport. "Nemesis. Goddess of retribution. She is the personification of vengeance."

"Betty…" Veronica scolded. "Have you been telling stories?"

A devilish grin slid onto her face. "I've only ever told him the truth."

"And…" Jughead started. "Because I know you're going to ask, Reggie is Dionysus, God of Winemaking and wine, and Archie is Heracles, also known as Hercules, God of Heroes, sports and all sort of manly things."

"And what about you, Jug?" Betty arched her neck back to look at him. "Who are you?"

"Oh, you wouldn't know him…" Jughead teased. "Erebus, Primordial God of Darkness."

"Why am I not surprised?" Betty shook her head, her ponytail swaying behind her. "Come on, let's go!"

Betty pulled Jughead along, leaving their friends in the dust. As they walked through the ruins, Jughead told Betty stories of Greek gods and goddesses. Some she recognized, others were new to her. The story of Persephone and Hades was her new favorite, after Jughead's retelling.

"So, Hades just basically wanted love?" Betty asked when he finished the story. "I mean, I guess kidnapping and forced marriage isn't really the way to go… but I guess Hades isn't as bad as some people might think."

"You could say that I suppose." Jughead tightened his arm around Betty, holding her close. "I'd kidnap you a thousand times if I had to."

"Would you now?" Betty turned into his embrace, so they were now face to face.

Jughead placed a finger on her chin, guiding her lips to his. "It's a good thing I don't have to."

He kissed her there, in the middle of an ancient city, tourists brushing past them. Her lips were so soft against his, he could stay in that moment forever. But Jughead became acutely aware of how public this whole scene was, and with Betty's tongue swiping across his lips, he knew that this should wait for later. Reluctantly, Jughead pulled away.

"How about we check out the museum?" He offered; his heart beat a little faster at the shine on Betty's lips. "Then we can grab lunch?"

Betty hopped onto her tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "It's a date!"

The girl with the blonde hair skipped ahead excitedly, her ponytail bouncing behind her in soft curls. Jughead kept his eyes on her as he followed along languidly. The museum was back down the hill, its smooth walls in direct contrast to the ruinous stone ones that they just left. It looked so elegantly modern in comparison, but Jughead would choose ancient ruins over modern architecture any day. It was much better for pictures anyway.

He was disappointed to learn that he couldn't take pictures throughout much of the museum, and he urged Betty to hurry through the exhibits because he was getting terribly bored. Eventually they found their way through the large building and back into the bright sunlight of midday.

The pair followed a thin, curving street leading away from the Acropolis. Vendors boasted all sort of traditional Grecian food. Jughead bought two orders of souvlaki from a street vendor. Neither of them really knew what it was, but since it was being advertised on every street corner, it seemed like the right thing to do.

It was reminiscent of a taco, Betty thought. She took a bite into the pita bread, which was wrapped around a delicious filling of pork, tomatoes, and a garlic sauce. Betty moaned at the delicious taste as she and Jughead found an empty patch of grass in a nearby park.

"It's certainly not the time or place for that kind of noise." Jughead said with a sly smile. Betty scowled at him, but he only responded with a wink.

"You haven't taken a bite yet." Betty was quick to point this out. "It'll make you moan out loud."

"It's not the only thing that'll make me do that…"Jughead winked again, but took a bite of his food anyway. A moan began slipping out between his lips and Betty shot him a look. Jughead quickly swallowed the sound as he swallowed his food.

Betty shrugged. "I told you so…"

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Jughead challenged. He set his food down as he crawled toward Betty. His knees straddled her thighs.

"I said… I told you so-ah!"

Jughead tackled the girl into the ground, leaving open mouthed kisses to her neck. The girl giggled and writhed around on the grass as Jughead moved his lips across her warm skin, salty with sweat. He wound his arms around her waist, rolling her onto his chest.

Betty's lithe fingers slid to the hem of his grey T-shirt, skirting the line between cloth and skin. Goosebumps rose across Jughead's body and maybe it was just the ninety degree weather, but his skin was so hot he could have started steaming. Betty's lips moved smoothly over his as she pushed her hands under his shirt.

Beep! Beep!

Betty jumped, her head whipping to the source of the intrusion. A line of cars had gotten backed up at a stoplight, and angry drivers had their horns blaring. Betty sighed and let her head fall to Jughead's chest.

"Foiled yet again." Jughead ran his hands up Betty's back as she straddled his hips.

With a final quick peck to the lips Betty rolled off the boy and grabbed her food from where she'd left it on a paper plate in the grass. "Good thing we've got a room waiting for us in Corfu."

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two days later they took their first steps into their seaside cottage. The horizon stretched for miles in all directions and the sun was just beginning to set. Three bedrooms were set at the back of the cottage, large windows faced out toward the sea. Betty and Jughead took the last room available, they were all identical anyway, and they were too busy checking out the view.

Betty stepped out onto the stone terrace, basking in the orange glow of the evening.

"Gorgeous." Jughead sighed, his eyes following Betty as she leaned against the short wall surrounding the terrace.

"Which part?"

Click. "I think you know the answer to that."

Jughead stepped up to stand next to Betty and aimed his camera now at the horizon. A thin arm wrapped around his torso, their bodies fit together like puzzle pieces. As much as he wanted to stand there with her forever, he was exhausted from the long commute. Five hours on a train followed by another two swaying on a ferry over clear-blue waters. All he wanted was to get himself and Betty under the covers.

"I can't wait to get in the water tomorrow, how is it so blue?" Betty sighed and let her head fall against Jughead's shoulder.

Jughead kissed the girls head. "The sooner we go to bed, the sooner we wake up."

"You have to best ideas."

Jughead swung his camera around so it hung at his back and swept his arms under Betty's legs. Her arms instinctually wrapped around his neck as she giggled. He carried her bridal style through the open doors into their bedroom.

Betty didn't let go as Jughead set her down in the plush king-sized bed. She pulled him down into bed, throwing his beanie to the side and tangling her fingers in his thick, black hair. She pulled his face to hers, their kiss slow and smooth. Jughead's hands moved down her arms and under the hem of her shirt. 

"Mm…" Betty moaned into Jughead's mouth. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Jughead let his hands roam upward until he felt the fabric of Betty's bra. Her shirt hiked up, exposing her bare stomach.

"That moan…"

"Betts, babe… that was you who moaned." His lips moved down her neck as he spoke, his breath warm against her skin.

"Juggie, shh… just listen." Betty pushed back on his shoulders, her head cocked to the side, listening.

Sure enough, Jughead heard a moan. "Which room is that coming from?"

Betty's whole body cringed with the realization. "It's coming from both."

Jughead knew she was right. He hopped out of bed, making as much noise as possible on the way. "Don't worry, Betty. I have a plan. Turn on my laptop, I'll get the headphones!"

They turned the volume up loud on the first thing that showed up on Jughead's watchlist, drowning out the moaning and… the thumping from the rooms on either side of theirs. Betty and Jughead sat side-by-side, barely touching, holding hands under the sheets. Nothing was more of a mood killer than other people having sex.

The next day would start brand new. Breakfast in a small café on the coast, walking through the cobblestone streets, breathing in the salty seaside air. Their little cottage reserved a small stretch of rocky coastline. Perfect for cliff jumping, but Cheryl had other ideas.

"I'm gonna need to get my tan on." Cheryl said as she packed a bag. "I need sandy beaches, margaritas, and miles of seaside sounds. We're headed to the beach, bitches!"

Betty considered this for a minute, hooking her arms through Jughead's. "Juggie and I are going to stay here. We want a little alone time."

Veronica raised an eyebrow.

"Apparently they didn't get down to business last night." Reggie responded with a smirk. He wrapped his arms around Cheryl's waist and kissed her neck. "What? Were we too loud for you?"

"Yep, it was a real mood killer, Reg. Now, would you guys get out of here already?" Jughead slipped behind Betty, arms sliding around her waist, and he started dragging her backward toward their room.

"And…that's our cue to leave." Jughead barely heard Archie speak those last few words. He slammed the door behind him, immediately throwing Betty down onto the bed.

Warm lips attached to Betty's, his body grinding down into hers. Betty let her hands graze down Jughead's back. She tugged at the hem of his shirt, pulling it up and over his head. Jughead followed, his fingers skimming her sides as he pulled her tank off.

"Are you… wearing a bikini?"

"Obviously…" Betty threw a wink. She shuffled out from beneath him, pulling her shorts down as she headed toward the bathroom. "Put your suit on, we're going swimming."

Jughead's jaw dropped. "You tricked me."

"Hell yeah I did!" Betty poked her head back in the room. "Hurry up, slowpoke… or I'll leave without you."

"Okay, I'm coming…" Jughead rolled out of the bed. He quickly pulled on his swim trunks and hurried to join Betty on the terrace. She had pulled a white, flowing sundress over her suit and was already skipping down the stairs to the sea when Jughead emerged from the cottage. "Wait up!"

"You snooze you lose, Jones!" She called over her shoulder.

By the time Jughead caught up, Betty had again stripped out of her clothes and was staring down at the water from the top of a rocky cliff.

"Come on, Jug! The water is waiting."

Jughead stepped gingerly across the rocks dropping his towel at their feet. "You're not actually going to jump, are you?"

"Of course I am! Adventure awaits!"

"You are full of surprises, Betty."

"Jump on three?" Betty grabbed Jughead's hand. "One…"

"Two…Three!" Jughead began to run forward, but Betty didn't move. "Betts, you need to move your legs for this to work."

"I-I think I overestimated my courage just a bit. I can't do it… If I jump, I'll hit a rock, then I'll die and I'll never see Rome or Venice… and to think, we were so close!"

"You are not going to die. Just squeeze my hand and we jump into crystal blue waters."

And on another count of three they ran forward, wind blowing through their hair as they soared through the fresh air and crashed into the sea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on Tumblr @thesecretfandom


	5. Bella Notte

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Need some help with that?" Jughead asked. He was still hungry and he could tell Betty was getting full as her eating became slower.
> 
> Betty raised her eyebrows and smiled, as if she had just come up with a wicked idea. "Are you suggesting that we have our 'Lady and the Tramp' moment?"
> 
> "I was actually suggesting that you just pass me the plate and let me finish it, but your idea is good too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pure fluff chapter, even more so than previous chapters. Enjoy!

Their plane came in late in the evening. At seven o'clock, the massive windows showed the dark runway lit up with flashing red lights and airplanes with innumerable destinations taking off into the night. Others, like their tiny plane from Corfu, were still arriving from cities all around Europe into the ancient city of Rome.

Jughead had already pulled his camera from his carry-on luggage as they waited at baggage claim. People from all walks of life stood around the carousel. Most were Greek or Italian, either going on or returning home from a vacation. One person in particular caught his eye. Sitting alone on a bench opposite him, Jughead was fascinated by a young, dark-skinned man. His shoulders were hunched under a dark gray jacket, and large, no doubt sound proof, headphones flattened his hair.

For Jughead, it was like looking in a mirror of himself at the start of this trip. Brooding and alone, blending into his surroundings. He never felt the need to become anything more than an observer, passively watching others live their lives, nothing more than a fly on the wall. That was all true until he met Betty. Then, there was this overwhelming urge to become visible, to not be just the guy behind the camera, but the guy in front of the lens with a beautiful woman hanging from his arm.

For posterity's sake, he snapped a photo of the man in question. He made a mental note to title the piece Reflections. Not only the more literal meaning, the man so obviously like himself, but the feeling it gave him to think back to who he was just a few weeks ago.

Betty was standing close to the carousel as she waited for her bag. Archie and Reggie stood not far away, each pushing the other with back and forth dares to ride the conveyor but each chickening out before the deed was done. Veronica and Cheryl, well, they were unbothered. Both girls hid tired eyes under jackets stolen from their boys, sprawled out along hard metal benches.

"Juggie!" Betty called.

Jughead was already moving toward her as she waved him over. She pointed to the first signs of luggage rolling out, his being toward the front of the line. They had to wait a while for all six to receive their luggage, but Jughead didn't complain as Betty folded herself into his side, one arm wrapping completely around his waist.

They stayed that way until everyone had their bags and they had to separate to make the trek out of baggage claim and toward the public transport bay. Betty had whipped her phone out with her free hand after Jughead insisted on taking her smaller carry-on bag. She tapped away at her Google Maps, trying to find their accommodations for the next two nights.

They finally found their way into a crowded space, different doors exiting into a bus loading dock. People were shuffling back and forth, tons and tons of luggage being loaded into various modes of transportation; buses, vans, light rail, taxi.

Betty stopped her friends in front of a board listing the arrival and departure times of the light rail system. The flashing red and green lights gave Jughead a headache, but Betty didn't seem bothered as she stared intently at the moving numbers.

"We're looking for light rail number 13a. That should take us to the subway station near our bed and breakfast." Betty didn't move her eyes from the screen when she spoke, her eyes flicking back and forth at an alarming speed.

Jughead continued to people watch as the others looked for their transportation. He realized too late that a man in a blue polo shirt and khaki pants was not a traveler, but an employee of one of the many transportation options in the hub.

He spoke directly to Betty, who was engrossed in the flashing numbers. None of them, not even Cheryl who claimed she was bilingual and said 'Ciao' instead of 'Hello' or 'Goodbye,' had a clue as to what he was saying.

Betty's head whipped toward the sudden voice speaking to her. "Sorry… English?"

"Of course! You need ride?"

Betty shook her head stubbornly, quickly catching on to what this man was suggesting. Overpriced taxis were being peddled all around the area, but Betty would try to shut him down quickly.

"No. We're taking the rail."

"No no no… we take you to your hotel! Only fifteen Euro."

"No, thank you…" Betty replied sternly, yet kindly. "We don't need a ride."

"You will have to wait for a long time to get on the rail. We leave right away, direct to your hotel."

Jughead nudged Betty's shoulder and whispered in her ear. "Fifteen isn't bad for the six of us."

"Fifteen Euro each." The man seemed to hear their conversation, making the real price very clear.

Jughead shrugged. "Still… not bad. I think it's worth it. We'll get to eat sooner at least." Jughead remembered his grumbling stomach. He'd eaten snacks on the plan, and he had a small bag of potato chips. However, his stomach screamed for food as 8 o'clock rapidly approached.

Betty sighed and Jughead knew he'd gotten her. Her maternal instinct kicked in whenever Jughead brought up food. She knew he wouldn't last long on a hungry stomach. "Okay."

With that one word they were shuffled quickly to the exit. Betty collected cash from the others, placing it into the hands of their driver as they were all crammed into a black van. She climbed into the front seat next to the driver, address in hand, while Jughead was forced into the back row of seats, stuffed in next to Archie.

The man drove erratically through the traffic, slipping between lanes and between the many small, Italian cars. Eventually they turned onto a small street, cars lined up on both sides left barely enough room for the van to squeeze through.

Their driver didn't say two words to them as he unloaded their luggage and drove away.

"So, uh… where are we?" Reggie glanced up at the tall, nondescripts buildings that surrounded them.

"Well, this is the address." Betty said, moving to a gate that kept them separated from their building. A whole row of buzzers were marked with various offices and accommodations, but none was listed for the bed and breakfast she was looking for. "The place is called Lucky House, but I don't see it here."

Jughead slid next to Betty to examine the buzzers. "Would it be too obvious of me to mention that this sticker is really faded?" Jughead pointed to the one that was nearly unreadable. "It looks like the first letter was an L anyway."

Betty scowled at him, but pressed the button anyway. 

"Lucky House." A voice broke through the static.

Betty's eyes slid to her friends, this was by far the most strange way to check-in. She pressed down the buzzer as she spoke. "Checking in."

"One moment. I will come down." The voice on the other line spoke hastily, the last word nearly cut off.

A man appeared at the front door of the building and skipped down the steps to unlock the gate. Inside, the girls crowded into a small elevator while the boys took the steps to the fourth floor. They were checked in to the small bed and breakfast. It housed only three small bedrooms, one tiny bathroom, and an off-limits kitchenette for the one-man staff. He handed each couple a map, cartoonized versions of landmarks like the Colosseum, Vatican City, and Trevi Fountain marked the most popular tourist spots. Each map had a sticker the shape of a star to mark the location of their bed and breakfast.

When the man had collected their money for the next two nights he excused himself from the building, heading home for the night. Jughead waited in bed, crashing on top of the duvet. Betty crawled under the blanket next to him after she closed and locked the door behind her.

"Anything good on TV?" Betty mumbled, burrowing her head into Jughead's shoulder.

Jughead only grumbled as a response, but picked up the TV remote anyway. Every channel he tried was complete static or all in Italian, but honestly what did he expect? He kept flipping until he heard a familiar song. He couldn't place what it was called, but the words were English so he left the TV on that channel.

"Mm, I like this song." Betty wiggled around so she faced the TV, her cheek still nuzzled against Jughead's chest.

"What song is this?"

Betty raised her head to look him in the eye. "Are you kidding me? It's written on the screen… and it's a music video. Maroon 5. Don't Wanna Know. Ring any bells?"

"Okay, to be fair… this is a really weird music video."

Betty's sigh quickly became a yawn. "I guess so. Now shut up and cuddle me until I fall asleep."

"Yes ma'am."

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They left early the next morning, hoping to beat the crowds at the Colosseum. By the time they found their way through the subway system, they exited into the bright morning sunlight. Betty squeezed Jughead's hand as they emerged from the crowd and the ancient Roman architecture loomed out in front of them.

"Oh my God…" Betty's heart was racing, the view completely taking her breath away. She twined her arm with Jughead's and curled her head against his shoulder. "I can't believe I'm actually seeing the Colosseum. It's real."

Betty could feel Jughead grin above her. "I bet it looks even bigger on the inside."

"C'mon Jug." Betty sighed. "Live in the moment. I want to soak in the beauty that's in front of me."

"Wow, Betts… I know I'm gorgeous, but we're in public. Maybe tone it down a notch?"

Betty punched his shoulder as Jughead winked, but they continued to cross the road anyway. Huge crowds already lined up around the famous attraction. They sized up the line, twisting and winding through ancient architecture, before they were approached by a salesman.

The man boasted private tours to anyone who understood English. "Thirty Euro and you will get inside in fifteen minutes. You wait in line… eh, two hours."

This was the second salesman that had approached them in less than a day, so maybe that's what made Betty say yes so quickly. As time went on she became a little less worried about the money she spent, as long as it meant more time to see everything there was to see.

Betty and Jughead stuck with their tour guide after they were shuffled through security, but the other's were far less interested in the history and moved on to get pictures in the wide open space. In contrast, Jughead and Betty stayed close to each other, hands held tight at every moment except when he pulled out his camera to snap photos of their tour guide against various backgrounds.

"Juggie, I'm hungry." Betty moaned, tugging on his arm. They had circled the entire building twice, one on the lower landing and again on the upper walkway. "Wanna go find lunch?"

"Remember who you're talking to."

Jughead spotted their friends at the souvenir shop inside the stone structure. Reggie and Archie picked through the mountains of shotglasses, while the girls stood near the register where a display of jewelry was set up. Respectively, both Betty and Jughead spoke to their friends and they planned to meet again at sunset.

Betty and Jughead found lunch first, the continued exploring the area around the Colosseum. Their entry fee to the Colosseum also allowed them to explore the ancient buildings, arches, and churches that covered Palatine Hill. They ended at the Arch of Constantine, visible from the Colosseum and absolutely gorgeous.

"Betty, I need you to model for me again." Jughead said, raising his camera. "Just walk toward the arch. I'll take care of the rest."

Betty did as asked. She couldn't hear the click of the camera, so when she turned to ask if it was good, Jughead caught the genuine smile on her face. Click.

"That was perfect."

"You spoil me." Betty giggled, returning to Jughead's side.

He smiled in return and pulled her into a hug. "I can't help it. You're just too cute."

Betty punched his shoulder, her new signature move. "You're cuter."

"Well, if I'm so cute… how would you feel about a romantic dinner?"

"Candles and a shared dessert?" Betty asked while batting her eyelashes.

"Shared dessert, yes… candles? It depends on the restaurant, but I'm sure that can be arranged."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

"Lasagna for you signore, and for the lovely signorina?" The waitor scribbled on a small note pad as he turned to take Betty's order.

"Spaghetti," She pointed to the menu. "Per favore."

"Grazie!" The waitor swept away into the small restaurant they had stumbled upon. Betty and Jughead had been seated outside, open to the large space filled with people as they milled about in front of the Pantheon, an ancient Roman temple now a church.

A small tea light candle sat in the middle of their small table, a white tablecloth falling over their knees. A bottle of champagne sat chilling in a bucket of ice just next to their table, and Betty lifted her flute to her lips to take a sip of the bubbly drink. Jughead had one hand reached across the table to hold Betty's hand. Their feet tangled together under the table. Jughead's eyes locked onto Betty's as she talked and laughed, her bubbly drink reflecting in her now bubbly personality.

Betty's lips were a soft, bubblegum pink from the lipstick she'd reapplied just after lunch. She left a pink stain on the glass as she sipped her drink. Jughead squeezed her hand tighter. Betty set her glass down and cocked her head to the side, expecting Jughead to speak. Instead, he leaned across the table and caught her lips in a quick kiss.

Betty smiled into the kiss, the grin not leaving even when Jughead pulled back.

"What was that for?" She giggled.

Jughead shrugged, a slow smirk growing on his lips. "I just really like kissing you."

Jughead watched with complete fascination as his girlfriend's cheeks blushed bright pink. She tucked a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear and propped her chin on her hand. "I like kissing you too."

It was Jughead's turn to blush, but before he could respond the waitor returned with their food. Tomato sauce, parmesan cheese, and pasta. All the signature ingredients in the greatest Italian meals. If there was one thing that stood a chance a distracting Jughead from the vision of a woman sitting across from him, it was this nine-layer square of lasagna that was placed in from of him.

Jughead had to let go of Betty's hand to grip his fork. Betty held a spoon in one hand, fork in the other, as she twirled her food onto the utensil. Jughead finished his food quickly, probably too quickly, and Betty was still trying to finish her meal. 

"Need some help with that?" Jughead asked. He was still hungry and he could tell Betty was getting full as her eating became slower.

Betty raised her eyebrows and smiled, as if she had just come up with a wicked idea. "Are you suggesting that we have our 'Lady and the Tramp' moment?"

"I was actually suggesting that you just pass me the plate and let me finish it, but your idea is good too."

Jughead reached across the table with his fork, slurping up the long strings of pasta. He realized too late that he'd slurped up an unusually long string and had to lean over the table as the spaghetti got stuck. Similarly, Betty was struggling with her own food. They both fought over their spaghetti until it became obvious that they were both sucking on opposite ends of the same string of spaghetti.

Jughead quirked the corner of his lip and sucked on the string until his lips were led to Betty's. She laughed a little as he bit off the piece of spaghetti where their lips met and pulled away. Jughead choked out a laugh as he swallowed to food.

"I didn't think you meant 'Lady and the Tramp' literally."

"I didn't think I did!" Betty giggled. "You want to do it again?"

"When it comes to food… and your lips, you never have to ask." Jughead slid his chair around so he was sitting next to Betty. He wrapped his arm around Betty's waist. He watched her profile in the dim lighting as she started to scoop up the food again. "Betty Cooper…"

She turned to him at the sound of her name. Her smile was enough to make Jughead weak in the knees. "What?"

"I… I love you."

Betty dropped her fork. It clanged against the ceramic plate. Her smile grew even larger as she processed the words. Before Jughead could react or think to hard about what he'd just said, Betty wrapped her arms around his neck. Her lips were on his again, her hands moving up to twirl the hair that poked out under his beanie.

Jughead's hand moved to Betty's waist of their own volition, but he pulled his lips back for just a second. "Are you going to… say it back?"

Her gaze softened as she looked into Jughead's eyes. "Of course I love you, Jughead. Was it not obvious when I just kissed you?"

"Well, yeah…" Jughead slid a hand up her arm and let it rest on her shoulder. He leaned into her kiss again. His lips brushed hers as he spoke. "I just wanted to hear you say it."

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Betty and Jughead finished their meal they walked to Trevi Fountain to meet their friends. They walked in tandem, each one with an arm around the others' waist. They weren't the only romantics walking the streets that night. As they approached their destination there were many couples holding hands as they approached the brightly lit fountain. The water was unrealistically blue, and at the same time completely gorgeous.

Ahead, they spotted two redheads standing next to their black haired partners. There was no mistaking them as their friends. Betty sidled up next to Veronica, where she stood against a railing staring into the bright blue water.

"Hey, V."

Veronica spun with a wide smile on her face. She immediately wrapped her best friend in a hug. "Why do I feel like I haven't seen you in days? We need more girl time when we get to Spain."

Betty leaned back into Jughead's embrace when Veronica let her go. "I spy a Barcelona beach party in our future?"

"Oh for sure." Veronica slipped her hand into Archie's. "Now, if Jughead would be so kind… I'd like to get a good quality picture with me and Archiekins here. "

Jughead obliged, and spent a little time taking photos for his own purposes as well. The sun was now fully set, but the fountain looked even more beautiful when it was fully lit up and surrounded by a shroud of darkness.

Betty led Jughead to the nearest railing to the water and pulled two coins from her pocket. She handed one to Jughead and turned her back to the water. Jughead followed suit.

"Close your eyes and make a wish." Betty said.

"I don't need to wish for anything." Jughead gripped her free hand.

"Humor me…" She smiled softly. "And make something up."

Betty didn't know it at the time, but she and Jughead wished for the same thing when they threw the coins over their shoulders. They wished for nothing to change. No matter where in the world they found themselves, they would be happy and they would be together.

They didn't move from each other's presence for the rest of the night, and the next day was much the same. They stayed hand in hand as they waited in the long line to enter Vatican City and the almost as long line at the airport that evening. They only separated long enough to go through security, and they huddled together on a bench facing out to where their plane would soon arrive.

They watched the passing lights of planes driving to the runway, Jughead's arm around Betty's shoulder and her head rested on his chest. There was something special here, Betty knew. What were the chances that she'd met the guy she was meant to be with 3000 miles from home? It didn't matter, because as far as she was concerned… she was already home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on Tumblr @thesecretfandom


	6. Sunsets y el Amor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The said the 'L' word, but can they admit it to their friends?

Jughead woke up the next morning not remembering how he'd gotten from the airport in Madrid to their hotel. He had vague memories of the strange hotel room they'd found themselves in. It was odd in the fact that it was not a hostel, Airbnb, or bed & breakfast, but a real hotel. The sheets were ridiculously clean, the smell of laundry detergent permeating the air when Jughead fell onto the plush mattress. 

What was weirder, the room was for six but there were only two queen sized beds. Tucked in another, partially closed off room, a bunk bed fit for kids. Betty was feeling non-confrontational when they'd arrived, and willingly gave up the beds to the other two couples. There was no door closing off their room, but a curtain separated them from the others.

These few facts came running back into his mind when he spotted a veil of blonde hair cascading over his chest. He was acutely reminded of his unfortunate position when he knocked his head into the wooden ladder built in to the side of the bunk. He wouldn't complain, however, about Betty laying almost completely on top of him so they would both fit on the small bed.

He forgot the dull ache in his head as he listened to Betty's soft breaths. Her hair was strewn across her face, and with each puff of air expelled from her lips a strand of hair would flutter up before dropping back to Jughead's chest.

One breath in particular fused with a yawn, sending a wad of hair into her mouth, which she immediately spit out. Jughead flinched when the wet hair landed on his cheek.

"Mm…" Betty groaned. Her legs curled into his as she slowly woke up.

Jughead lifted his hand away from where he held Betty's waist and pushed her hair out of her face and his. Her eyes squinched together and her hand clawed at the t-shirt on his chest. Jughead watched closely at all of the little movements the beautiful girl made as she woke up. Her lips puckered, then smacked. Her eyelashes fluttered as she struggled to open her eyes.

"Good morning." Jughead whispered, lips against blonde hair.

Her eyes finally rolled open, a little smile crossing her lips as her eyes found his. "Good morning."

Jughead's hand was still resting on Betty's cheek. He rubbed slow circles on her cheek with his thumb. She was so, so soft. His hand drifted to her neck and Betty sighed staring up softly.

"I love you." Jughead whispered. He would never get tired of saying that.

Jughead bent his head toward Betty and just before their lips touched she said with a huge, yet tired, smile, "I love you too, Juggie."

Jughead smiled into her lips, just a quick peck that Betty tried to hold on to. Jughead slid his arm under the blanket and gripped Betty's leg. He slid out from beneath her, once again knocking his head on the ladder as he peeled himself out of bed.

Betty's fingers wound through his, refusing to let him go. She whispered softly, "Stay."

Jughead knelt next to the bed and dropped his lips to Betty's forehead. "I'm just going to take an excessively long shower. The bathroom is actually clean and I bet the hot water will last longer than five minutes."

"Mm, that sounds nice." Betty sighed, curling her knees to her chest. "You left a cold spot on my tummy."

"I'm sorry." He replied and brushed his fingers through Betty's hair. "You know, I wouldn't be opposed to sharing the warm water."

Betty raised a single eyebrow, her signature move. "Maybe next time."

"Suit yourself." Jughead pulled the blanket up to Betty's chin before retreating to the semi-luxurious bathroom. He thought back to the run down and dirty bathrooms of the hostels of their past. This one was a huge step up. The shower was lined in a faux-granite tile, the shower head and knobs a polished stainless-steel. It was about a hundred times nicer than the bathroom he grew up with.

Jughead luxuriated in the warm water. The pressure of the water down his back was strong, like a massage he never knew he needed. The complimentary soap was coconut scented, a step up from the complete lack of soap he'd been washing himself with for the past two and half weeks. His hair had been greasy for longer than he could remember, beginning way back when his mother had first left him. Now, he gratefully took the free shampoo and lathered it into his ever-growing black locks.

He was reluctant to leave the warm water, a chill settling on his naked body when he stepped out of the steamy room. Betty was still laying in bed, but she seemed to have woken up a bit and was scrolling through her phone. Jughead sat on the edge of the bed, allowing his hand to rest on Betty's hip over top of the covers.

"What are you looking at?" Jughead asked, shaking out his wet hair. Betty cringed when the water hit her face, shielding her phone.

"Just scrolling Facebook," Betty spoke quietly. A yawn escaped her lips before she spoke again. "Just the usual old high school friends partying and tagging each other in memes."

"Fascinating." Jughead sighed. "I've never really used Facebook much."

With sudden force, Betty sat straight up and grabbed him. One hand grabbed his shoulder, the other just a flat palm against his bare chest. His heart sped up, but he was sure that Betty hadn't sat up with the ultimate goal of leaving him flustered.

"Jughead!"

He waited a moment for her to elaborate. "Betty!?"

"I just realized we aren't even Facebook friends."

"So what? I just said I don't use Facebook."

Betty raised her eyebrows for probably the thousandth time that morning. "That doesn't matter. It's the principle of the thing. I'm adding you now."

"How do you even know I have an account?" Jughead sighed, not willing to create a stronger argument.

"Found you!" Betty wasn't even looking at Jughead now, but staring intently at her phone. "Oh my God. You were so cute in high school."

"Hey!" Jughead reached to grab Betty's phone from her hands. "No snooping on my shame years."

"Ooh, Jughead the edge lord. Is this you at Prom?"

"Archie made me go. I swear to God, I will kill him for posting that picture." Jughead was in a constant state of cringe as Betty laughed at the plethora of photos Archie had tagged him in over the years. "Please, do not judge me for my past."

"Don't worry, Juggie." Betty finally laid her phone on the bed and leaned in to Jughead's embrace. "I swear I will never tell a soul about your emo phase, just so long as you don't judge me for the whole blue eyeshadow, cheerleader phase that I went through."

Jughead was quick to whip out his phone now. "I promise, I won't judge you… but that is something that I absolutely have to see."

"No!" Betty tackled Jughead against the bed, grabbing for his phone. Jughead couldn't even be bothered to fight back because he was acutely aware that Betty was now stradling his towel clad waist. Betty seemed to notice this as well, and shifted off of the bed. "Okay, you know what… go wild. Just remember not to judge me. I'm going to go take a shower."

Betty left Jughead with a kiss on the forehead. "Okay Miss Top-of-the-Pyramid."

Betty glared over her shoulder. "You promised you wouldn't judge."

Jughead raised his hands in surrender, but returned to his phone and Betty's' old photo albums on Facebook.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Veronica took the lead as they hopped on a bus into the heart of the city. Since their hotel was on the outer edges of Madrid, hence the affordability, it took upwards of thirty minutes to arrive at Sol station. The heat was ridiculous, and after a sweaty bus ride, Betty desperately needed a relief from the confinements of her cotton T-shirt.

Jughead was wandering down the massive open courtyard, his camera lifted to the world around them. Betty caught his eye as she peeled her T-shirt from her body. As she pulled the fabric over her head she noticed the boy point the camera in her direction. Click.

Betty rolled her eyes at him, but was flattered nonetheless. Veronica hooked her arm through Betty's as they approached a statue surrounded by tourists with cameras raised.

"El Oso y el Madroño." Veronica said, when it was clearly within sight. "The Bear and the Strawberry Tree."

"Don't pretend like you actually know the word for strawberry tree." Betty teased. "We know you speak conversational Spanish, but who even says strawberry tree?"

"I've been exposed." Veronica held a hand to her chest to feign shock. "I'll admit, I looked that part up. But I do know some non-traditional words, you know."

"Like what?" Jughead didn't mean to be challenging, and Betty assumed he was actually just curious.

"I can't think of any right now… Come on, girls. I'm craving a frozen dessert." Veronica took Cheryl with her other arm and started marching them into the crowd. "Meet us at the palace in two hours boys. I need some time with my girls."

Veronica led the two girls through tall buildings, down narrow alleyway that twisted through the city. Souvenir shops lined the streets, but eventually led to an open courtyard. Caricature artists lined up around the perimeter, separated by a few vendors selling traditional, homemade jewelry, ornaments, and tchotchkes.

In the middle of the courtyard, Plaza Mayor, was a tall bronze statue of a man on a horse. Betty noted that it was probably the most generic statue on planet Earth, as she was sure she's seen statues nearly identical to this one in every major city she's ever visited.

There was something different about the whole scene, though. The building surrounding her was a vibrant scarlet, and children and young adults alike sat randomly on the cobblestones eating food bought from street vendors or one of the many restaurants built into the surrounding building.

"There has to be and ice cream parlor around here somewhere." Veronica huffed, fanning herself with the map that Betty had swiped from the hotel lobby.

"Well, I for one vote we head into this shady alley." Cheryl was clearly hiding from the sun. A large sunhat lay hiding her red waves, a pair of classic Chanel sunglasses perched on her porcelain skin. Already she'd asked Betty to reapply sunscreen to her shoulders in the short hour that they'd been in the city.

They followed Cheryl into the shade, and Betty was relieved when the heat dissipated significantly. They followed through the short alley until it ended in a burst of sunshine. Betty stuck her head around the corner of the building to find all of their dreams answered. A sign in the shape of an ice cream cone protruded from the building above a set of glass windows.

"Ladies, we are saved." Veronica pushed past the other girls and marched quickly to what would be a cool, air conditioned shop.

Veronica insisted on ordering for them, even though the menu was written in both English and Spanish. They all ended up with different flavored fruit sorbet, cherry for Cheryl, raspberry for Veronica, and lemon for Betty.

There was no room to sit inside the small shop, so they found their way to a grassy hill hidden in the shade of a few tall trees. The grass was slightly damp, and cool against Betty's bare legs.

"What were you and Jughead giggling about this morning?" Cheryl asked, popping a spoonful of the bright red delicacy into her mouth.

"Nothing, really." Betty shrugged, thinking back to her morning with the wet and nearly naked boy. "I found his Facebook profile.

Veronica snorted at that.

"What?"

Her friend glanced sideways at her. "Nothing, just… I saw some pictures of Jughead on Archie's profile. I'm just trying to imagine what it would have been like if you two had met in high school. Angsty emo boy and the cheerleader. It would make a great teen romance novel."

Cheryl was passively listening and rolled her eyes.

"That isn't what I was referring to. It was later, after your shower." Cheryl fixed her with a knowing look. "Some giggling… then quiet."

"What do you want me to tell you, Cher? We were making out." Betty responded bluntly. There was no use trying to hide it. It's not like she was ashamed of making out with her boyfriend.

"You know," Veronica started, "I have noticed you two being a little more touchy feely the past few days."

"Is that a crime?" Betty licked her spoon, frowning at her now empty cup.

Veronica and Cheryl shared a look; one Betty was unable to decipher.

"Okay, girl… what are you hiding?" Veronica set down her empty cup and moved closer to Betty.

"Nothing!" Her claim was met with two competing scowls. It was clear that they would not be giving up on this anytime soon. "Okay, okay… Jughead told me he loved me when we were in Rome."

"What?" "OMG!" The two girls said in unison.

"And I said it back." Betty grinned. Just saying it out loud brought the fuzzy feelings back. Her stomach twisted and she felt her cheeks get hot.

"She's blushing!" Veronica nudged her shoulder.

Her friends pestered her for a while, and it felt strangely akin to how they'd acted at slumber parties when they were younger. She'd been forced to retell the story, spaghetti and all, to satisfy their girlish needs. Though both agreed that they would have freaked out to hear the same three words, Cheryl still claimed that Reggie was only arm candy, they were both equally happy for Betty.

Eventually they dropped it, or got bored of the conversation, and they found their way to the Palace of Madrid. At mid-afternoon, the line to enter was a bit long, but nothing compared to lines in Rome. They decided to find the boys before entering the magnificent building, but it seemed they had arrived first.

They saw Reggie first, standing tall above the crowd. Betty hugged Jughead as soon as they caught up, earning sidelong glances from the others in the group.

Betty whispered into his ear. "I may have told them about the 'L' word."

Jughead leaned in so that his mouth was next to her ear. "Me too. I don't know how, but they just pried it out of me."

"I love you." Betty stated as if it was the most normal thing in the world. She pulled against his neck, leading his lips to hers.

"I love you too."

\--------------------------------------------------

The sun was just beginning to set when the palace closed to visitors. Jughead stood with Betty at his front, his arms draped over her shoulder and chin resting on top of her head. Betty's hand found a place on his forearms as she leaned back into his embrace. Her back to his chest; it felt so familiar.

It wasn't long before the day had come to an end. They stopped for dinner and drinks at a restaurant near the bus stop that would take them back to their hotel. Three margaritas later, they were tipsy returning to their room as each couple collapsed into bed, Betty and Jughead falling down share the bed with Archie and Veronica as Reggie turned on the TV.

Jughead couldn't focus on what appeared on the screen, instead his nearly drunk mind had eyes only for the blonde beauty snuggled in next to him. Even when Betty fell asleep, her head sharing a pillow with a sleeping Veronica, Jughead's eyes didn't leave her.

When everyone fell asleep, leaving only Jughead to turn off the TV, he slid his arms under Betty's limp body. Even in her drunk and sleepy state, Betty swung her arms up to wrap around Jughead's shoulders as he carried her to bed.

Jughead woke late the next day, a quick glance at his phone saying it was almost noon and an empty bed next to him proved that Betty was already awake. When he finally found the energy to crawl out of bed he found that Betty had already packed his bag.

"I'm just so excited to go Barcelona!" Betty gushed as she tucked Jughead's laptop into its case. "Our train leaves in two hours. Is it weird that I want to just go to the train station now?"

"It's a little weird…" Jughead admitted. He was sitting on the edge of their bed, Betty standing just in front of him. He set his hands on her waist and pulled her in. "Why spend two hours waiting for a train when we can spend two hours here?"

Betty crawled onto his lap, and as she did Jughead's lips moved to her neck, sucking on the soft skin behind her ear. As Jughead's lips moved, Betty arched her back and tipped her head back to allow Jughead to nip at her skin. Her fingers tickled the skin just under his shirt, before moving up to cup Jughead's cheeks.

Betty pulled him away from her neck, much to Jughead's disappointment, and crashed their lips together. Time seemed to pass in a blur, lips traveling over one another as they passed the time. Before they knew it, Archie knocked on the wall and shouted to them.

"You guys done in there?" He called, an air of teasing in his voice. "The bus to the train station leaves in ten minutes."

"Okay, Arch." Jughead sighed, his eyes still locked on Betty. He dropped one last kiss to her lips before Betty crawled off his lap. "We're coming."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

The three hour train ride was long, but when Reggie produced a deck of cards, they found that they could easily pass the time, and in Archie's case lose twenty euro to Jughead who was surprisingly good at Blackjack. Betty sipped on an orange juice as Veronica was dealt into the game and managed to win back Archie's money.

As they sped through the Spanish country side, Betty held Jughead's hand under the table and watched the land speed by. The train stopped at a station near the beach, only a short bus ride to their house on the beach.

They arrived late in the evening, dropping their luggage at the door. They decided that the beach was the best option for a sunset swim. The palm trees swayed lightly in the breeze, as did Betty's hair when she tugged out her ponytail.

Jughead waded into the water, leaving Betty standing on the warm sand. A pink and orange glow covered the evening sky, casting a warm glow over her friends. She wondered again how she'd gotten to this point in her life. Three weeks in foreign cities, her life had changed so drastically already.

She was stuck, standing in the sand, her mind wandering to what came next. A short time in Barcelona, but ultimately the second half of their trip was one she most anticipated. Paris next and from there…

"Betts, are you coming?" Jughead called, now waist deep in the water.

"Yeah," She called back. "Just… enjoying the view."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on Tumblr @TheSecretFandom


	7. The City of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The city of love brings about the pinnacle of Betty and Jughead's relationship. Four walls all their own, and no friends in sight.

"Oh my God… where the fuck is this hotel?" Cheryl had been complaining for the entirety of their long commute from the airport to their hotel. One hour long bus ride brought them to the subway station, but the real complaining started when they sped through the bowels of the city. Paris certainly wasn't as beautiful underground as Betty imagined it would be above.

Now, they wandered down the street where their hotel was supposed to be, but there were endless shops and restaurants instead. Betty didn't complain as much, even as she glared at the map on her phone. The big red pin of their destination was stuck over the blue dot of their location. It should be right here.

Somehow, she couldn't be frustrated with a view of the Eiffel Tower rising above the buildings and Jughead sitting on his luggage, snapping photos of people passing on the opposite side of the street.

"Cheryl, why don't you just enjoy the view while I try to figure this out." Betty leaned her head back, smoothing her hands over her hair to tighten her ponytail. As she did, she looked up and sighed out loud at what she saw. A sign protruded from high up on the building and the letters spelled H-O-T-E-L. She groaned. "Guys…"

Veronica looked up from her phone, and Jughead spun to look as Betty pointed up to the sign.

"So, we're in the right place, but how do we get in?" Betty inspected an innocuous door that she hadn't noticed before. There was a keypad for a code, but not doorbell or intercom to let them in.

"Looking for the hotel?" A man appeared from the restaurant beside them, setting placemats on the bistro tables under the awning.

"Yes!" Betty's whole body flooded with relief. They'd already paid for the hotel online, and she didn't want to have to find a new place to stay. "Do you know how to get in?"

"Come with me," He said simply. Betty raised eyebrows at her friends, who shrugged. "You check in here. I will get your keys."

They were whisked through a series of paperwork for each couple to sign, the code to the entrance, wifi password, and finally keys to each of the three rooms they had booked. Then they were trudging slowly up the stairs. Built on four floors, the small hotel had two rooms on each of the second, third and fourth floor. They had booked one room on each floor, and even Betty had to admit that she was looking forward to having a room with Jughead that didn't share walls with either other couple.

Betty and Jughead took the room on the fourth floor. Cheryl refused to walk any farther than the second floor, and Archie, who was carrying half of Veronica's luggage as well as his own, broke down at the third floor. Betty and Jughead, ever the team, carried their own bags to the top floor and into the room.

Until they reached their room, Betty hadn't even thought about the view that they would have from their window, but when she stepped up to the large window and realized that it was actually a door that led to a small balcony.

"Juggie, look at this." Betty heard Jughead drop his bags on the floor as she opened the door and stepped outside. "Oh, wow."

They had to stand close on the tiny platform, Jughead's arms moving around Betty's torso as they took in the view together. Down the street, towering in the distance, the Eiffel Tower stood perfectly framed between the beautiful architecture on either side.

A soft sigh slipped out between Jughead's lips and Betty leaned back into him. She turned her head to look up into Jughead's eyes, deep blue, she could see his smile in the crinkles of his eyes. Neither looked away until their lips met and eyes fluttered shut.

Jughead's lips moved slowly over hers; Betty turned in his arms as Jughead's fingers tickled around the base of her shirt. And suddenly they were falling back inside their room. Betty didn't bother to shut the door behind her, but instead reached up to pull Jughead's hat from his head.

"God, I love your hair." She moaned against his lips, threading her fingers through his dark locks.

"Shut up…" Jughead groaned, smirking as he pulled Betty's shirt over her head.

The split second where their lips separated seemed to last ages, and Betty was quick to pull Jughead's lips back to hers. Meanwhile, large, rough hands wandered across the expanse of smooth, tan skin. Betty reciprocated, sliding her hands down Jughead's back and quickly pulling the shirt away from his body.

One of Jughead's hands moved to cup her cheek, the other supporting her back as he lowered her onto the bed. Betty was quick to pull out her ponytail before her head hit the pillow. Hands back in hair, Betty gave herself over to Jughead's body. With a leg on either side of Betty's body, Jughead pulled away to allow his lips to trail from Betty's neck down to the swell of her breasts where fabric still separated them.

Betty hazily thought about how this is as far as they'd ever gone. Shirtless, hands exploring skin, Jughead let one hand move up from her hip to the soft skin just beneath her breasts. Then he took a step he'd never taken before, his hand finding new unexplored territory beneath the fabric of her bra.

"Jug…" Betty sighed.

Suddenly, and disappointingly, Jughead stopped his movements. Even his lips paused on her shoulder. "What?"

"Nothing…" Betty arched her back, willing Jughead to move again. "Isn't that what people do at times like this? Say each other's names? It's sensual…"

Jughead smiled, his hands moving again. Betty reached back to the clasp of her bra, allowing Jughead the sight he so desired.

"Betty." Jughead said, lowering his voice to its deepest level. "Does it turn you on when I say your name?"

Betty responded by slipping her hand beneath his jeans, fingers squeezing lightly against his ass. "Everything you do turns me on."

"Fuck, Betts…" Jughead groaned. Betty could just feel Jughead's erection growing beneath his pants. Betty's heart was hammering in her chest; she was sure Jughead could feel the thump thumping beneath his lips. She wondered where this may go, for the first time being completely alone without the threat of their friends on the other side of the wall.

Betty wanted it. She wanted Jughead to make love to her, for the first time, here in Paris.

Jughead hesitated when Betty bucked her hips against him. "Are you sure no one will interrupt us?"

"Certainly not Cheryl or Reggie… and Archie and Veronica are likely in a similar position themselves so…"

"Oh, God don't say that. I don't like the idea of Archie in my head when I'm here, doing this, with you."

"So we're doing this then?" Betty smiled as Jughead finally raised his eyes to look into hers.

"Do you want to? Now? It's three in the afternoon." But Jughead didn't seem to be complaining, or looking for a way out. He was simply stating a fact.

Betty was just beginning to nod when a knock came at the door, scaring the two out of the moment.

"Fuck…" Jughead closed his eyes, his head falling dejectedly to Betty's chest. "Can I just ignore that?"

"I want to say yes, but…" The knocking came again. "You get it. Just… put a shirt on first."

Jughead rolled off of Betty dramatically and grabbed his shirt, pulling it on before walking to the door. Betty, grabbed her discarded clothing quickly and slipped into the bathroom. She listened through the door as Jughead answered the door.

"Archie? What do you want?"

"Nice to see you too, pal." Archie's tone was playful.

"You know what I mean… It's been twenty minutes. We aren't meeting for dinner for two hours."

"I can't just come visit my friend?"

Jughead sighed. "What are you actually doing here?"

"Ronnie is taking a nap and I'm bored. Where's Betty?"

Betty suddenly realized that Archie would likely see right through whatever it was they were trying to hide. The duvet was crumpled already, the door to the balcony hanging open, and most incriminating…. Jughead's beanie discarded on the floor. Jughead would never leave his hat on the floor under any other case than if Betty had thrown it there in a fit of passion.

"She's uh… taking a shower."

Betty sprang into action, hurrying to turn on the shower before Archie realized Jughead's lie. Unfortunately, now she couldn't hear them anymore. On the other hand, she hadn't showered since yesterday morning and she was half-naked already. Without any notice as to whether Archie had left or not, Betty decided on the obvious choice. She hopped in the shower, and just hoped she and Jughead would finally find some time together later.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They'd designated their first full day in Paris to art and history, and they found themselves in the mazelike floorplan of the Louvre. Betty took a map from the ticket booth, but they still found themselves wandering endlessly through the many floors and rooms that made up the world famous museum.

The six friends stayed together as they spent the next three hours in the building. Betty held Jughead's left hand in her right, letting him hold his camera in his free hand. The true beauty of the Louvre, Jughead thought, was not inside with the Mona Lisa and the endless number of priceless, but outside where a beautiful blonde woman stood holding a red umbrella to hide from the sprinkles of rain as she stared at the iconic glass pyramids.

Jughead lifted his camera. It seemed to have a mind of its own when it came to Betty, always being pulled to the sight of her like a paperclip to a magnet. As if on cue, Betty turned with a smile and wave. She turned back before Jughead could take the picture. Through the viewfinder, the view was still a thing of beauty. Click.

Just as the rain was starting to leave uncomfortable trails of moisture on his cheeks, Jughead moved to stand with Betty. She held the umbrella a little higher so he could duck under and hide from the drops of rain.

"I love it here." Betty sighed. She lowered her head to rest against the crook of Jughead's shoulder.

"You've said that about every place we've been."

"Well I mean it this time." Betty slipped her hand into Jughead's and squeezed. "When Veronica, Cheryl and I decided to take this trip Paris was on my top three list of places to go. When I was young I always wanted to visit Paris with the love of my life one day, but when we planned this trip none of us were even dating anyone and I had accepted that it would just be us three girls. But now, with you… it's like everything I ever wanted it to be."

Jughead didn't know how to respond to her. Her eyes were shining as she stared at him, waiting to see if he would speak. He didn't. He was speechless, and settled for pressing his lips against the top of her head. Betty seemed satisfied enough with his response and reached up to place a light kiss to his lips.

"The city of love with my love."

"That was too cheesy." Jughead laughed.

"You love it." Betty shoved him with her shoulder.

"I love you."

They were pulled from their moment of solitude when Veronica and Archie appeared behind them. The cold had started to seep into their bones and warm beverages were high on the list of necessities. The garden that covered the land in front of the museum was nearly empty, other than a few tourists carrying umbrellas and wandering through the trees.

A small carousel sat hidden in the trees off to one side, but they seemed to be on a mission to escape the rain. Jughead had spent his fair share of time out in the rain, and the cold didn't bother him. In fact, when Betty tucked an arm under the flannel that Jughead wore, he thought he quite liked it when Betty was cold.

They found a small bar and restaurant built on a boat floating in the river. Glass surrounded every wall of the restaurant, and as the sunset pulled the curtain of dusk over the city the Eiffel Tower lit up just beyond a nearby bridge. An ever present icon in their Parisian adventure, Jughead couldn't wait to see Betty standing at the top of it.

So, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder as he sipped a black coffee and they watched the day slip into night together.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

They returned to their hotel late that night, and Betty was eager to pick up where they'd left of the day before. She left Jughead laying on the bed as she slipped into the small bathroom. She wasn't exactly sure what was meant when, in movies, the woman would go to 'freshen up,' having never done it before. She settled for brushing her teeth and slipping her clothes off and left them in a heap on the floor.

She exited the bathroom in only a bra and panties, excited to see Jughead's face when he saw her. She didn't get the chance, because as she walked over to the bed she could hear light snoring escape his mouth. And while she was disappointed that yet another day would pass with just sleeping next to each other, Betty was almost as exhausted as Jughead clearly was.

When she woke the next morning, Jughead's hand was smoothed across her stomach. His thumb brushed up and down on her skin, his head now sharing her pillow. His eyes were on her as Betty finally opened her eyes. Their noses were nearly touching at this distance, and Jughead closed the space to press a deep kiss to her lips.

"Did I miss something last night?" Jughead asked, letting his hand slide up to cup her breast.

"Yeah, well…" Betty slipped her hand under Jughead's shirt. "You fell asleep before the fun could begin."

Jughead sighed and pulled Betty closer to him. "I miss out on all the fun."

Betty climbed over Jughead, legs straddling his hips. Her lips were drawn in to Jughead's, and as she pressed her lips to his, Jughead let his hands grip her thighs. It was tempting… to shed what was left of the clothing separating them, but now wasn't the time. Betty pulled back, reveling in the soft wetness of Jughead's lips.

"To be continued…"

Jughead groaned when Betty climbed off the bed and began digging through her bag. Betty teased the poor boy still laying in bed. She slipped off her panties, exchanging for new pair. She slipped on a pair of skinny jeans and quarter-sleeve sweater.

"Come on, Jug." Betty pulled the blanket off of his body. "The sooner you get up, the sooner we get to see all of the romantic things the city has to offer, and the sooner we get back here and…"

"Okay, okay… I get it. I'm up." Jughead rolled out of bed. He pulled on his hat, shooting Betty a glare as she passed by on the way to the bathroom. "Just no more teasing. I won't last all day at this rate."

Betty came by and patted his cheek. "Whatever you say, big boy."

"See?" Jughead grabbed her wrist. "That right there. Nothing like that."

Betty rolled her eyes, not sure if she would keep that promise. Jughead didn't need to know that, though. Besides, he was already up and walking around the room. He traded out the T-shirt he was wearing for a semi-fresh one and slipped his shoes on.

"Well, I'm ready…" Jughead said, appearing behind Betty in the bathroom mirror as she brushed her teeth.

Betty shook her head, scowling, and pointed to where his toothbrush sat on the countertop. "Bruh yur teef."

"My what now?"

Betty spit into the sink. "Brush your teeth. I still need to do my makeup."

"But mom…" Jughead teased.

"Dear God, Jughead." Betty cringed. "Never call me mom again."

"Point taken." Jughead reached around her to grab his toothbrush. "It sounded wrong as soon as I said it."

Betty did her makeup quickly, much too excited to get outside into the much warmer and sunnier day. Their first destination wasn't far away. They followed the river that cut through the center of the city. They knew they were close when more and more of the street vendors were selling padlocks.

Jughead picked a plain gunmetal lock, amidst a stack of heart shaped locks. Betty expected nothing less, and loved him for it. They approached the bridge that they sought. Pont Neuf was better known as the Love Lock Bridge, where thousands of lovers, young and old, would place their locks on the bridge to show their eternal love.

There was a man at the bridge who offered to engrave their lock for only €2, something Jughead was glad to pull the two coins from his pocket for.

"Okay, where do you want to put it?" Jughead asked, holding Betty at his side. Betty was glad for this city, where they could unabashedly hold each other close and share as many kisses as they want.

"Somewhere where we can find it if we ever come back here." Betty pulled Jughead to the fence. There was a second fence protecting a staircase that led down to a small island beneath them. There were far less locks on that part of the fence, so it made the perfect location.

"Okay, hold my hand," Jughead said when they'd picked their spot. "And we'll lock it together."

Jughead's hand closed over Betty's and they clicked the lock shut together. They threw the key into the river next, Jughead planting a kiss on Betty's lips as his fell into the water.

"I love you." He whispered against her lips.

"I love you, too." She curled into his side as they looked out over the water. "Can we go to the Eiffel Tower now?"

"Whatever you want."

As they exited the bridge, they found a line of passenger bikes offering rides around the city. The Eiffel Tower sat around the bend of the river, keeping it just out of sight, but blocks away. It would take an hour to walk there. Betty pulled the money needed from her purse before Jughead could even think to argue and they climbed into the small carriage that was attached to the bike.

"You can make it up to me later." Betty winked.

"Hey, what did I say?"

"That's not teasing! I meant, you can make it up to me by buying dinner tonight."

Jughead rolled his eyes, but slung his arm over Betty's shoulder anyway. She laid her head against his chest as the bike bobbed in and out of traffic. The busy streets, filled with pedestrians on either side of the road, passed in a blur. Before long the bike pulled to a stop at a dead end street. Under the cover of trees and buildings towering up on either side, they couldn't see their destination.

"Sorry, which way?" Betty asked their driver.

He pointed straight forward. "Can't miss it."

They stepped past the trees onto a wide sidewalk and only then did the reality of the situation hit Betty like a ton of bricks. The Eiffel Tower, something that for much of her life Betty never truly believed to be real, was right there in front of her. Even now, she could scarcely believe it was real, and so much more beautiful than she ever could have imagined.

"Are you crying?" Jughead squeezed her fingers, stopping her in her tracks. His hand came up to cup her cheek.

"No." Betty pressed her fingers into the corner of her eyes. "Maybe a little. It's just so… so…"

"Beautiful?" Jughead smirked, his hands moving to her waist and pulling her body flush against his.

"Understatement of the century."

Jughead captured her lips. Betty thought about how right it felt. The cliché of being that couple who kisses with the Eiffel Tower in the background, it didn't bother her. In fact, it felt amazing to live the cliché for herself. So she held on to the moment and held on to Jughead, never wanting to let him go.

But Jughead pulled away much too soon. "Come on, you big baby. Let's get in line and get up there. You aren't afraid of heights, are you?"

Betty grinned. "Not with you by my side."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

By the time they got to the front of the line, the sun was low in the sky. Betty's smile hadn't faltered all day, growing wider with each step they took closer to the tower. Even as they started up the steps, the line being much shorter when compared to the elevator, she smiled down at Jughead as he followed behind her.

It reminded him of the first time they ever spoke. On that stairway in Amsterdam, with a stubborn Betty refusing to allow Jughead to help her with her luggage, he knew she was something special. A few short days later, she let him help her up the stairs after a night of heavy drinking and kissed him for the first time in the dark hallway.

She looked just as beautiful then as she does now. Her golden blonde hair fell in soft waves on her shoulders, and when they finally reached the first landing she curled into Jughead's side. She was so small and so soft beneath him, his arms instinctually wrapping themselves tight around her.

"How many times am I allowed to say I love you in a day?" Betty asked.

"As many as you want." Jughead replied. "I won't complain."

"I love you."

"I know."

The sun set while they stood at the highest platform. From this height they could see the whole city, lights flickering on all across the expanse of land. Beneath their feet, the tower began glowing a golden yellow. They descended when the attendants began ushering in the next group of visitors.

The trek down was much easier than the way up. As they finally turned their backs to the tower and crossed the bridge toward their hotel. Jughead stopped at a street vendor selling crepes, buying one for the two of them to share, tiding them over until their dinner.

Before they could disappear into the subway station that would take them back to their hotel, the tower began to sparkle. White lights flickered and flashed, capturing the attention of every person in the vicinity. When the sparkles finally ended, they finally descended into the subway.

As they reentered street level, both agreed that they didn't want to stop for a long dinner, instead stopping at a grocer along the way. Their dinner plans weren't elaborate, opting for a frozen pizza and a bottle of champagne. Jughead snuck a carton of ice cream into their basket to save for a midnight snack.

Finally, they returned to their hotel, marching for the last time up the three flights of stairs. As they passed the third floor, Veronica popped out of her room.

"You guys are back! You just have to come out with us."

"Sorry, Veronica…" Jughead said. "I really have to pee. Can't talk now."

Jughead started up the stairs, but before he was out of earshot he heard Betty speak.

"We have plans, V." Betty spoke softly. "And make sure to tell the others… no surprise visits tonight."

Jughead was waiting on the balcony when Betty slipped through the door. He had already managed to get the pizza in the oven, and set plates and two champagne flutes on the bistro table that sat on the small balcony. He'd already poured the champagne into the glasses and lit a candle that he'd found in a drawer.

"Wow." Betty said simply, joining Jughead on the balcony. Still, the Eiffel Tower stood glowing in the distance. "This is amazing, Juggie."

"I thought you might like it."

"Like it? I love it!" Betty gushed. She couldn't hide the grin that spread across her face as she tugged at Jughead's sweater, pulling his body into hers. "I've never been so happy."

The world around them was lit up, thousands of fairy lights lining the streets, the restaurants thriving on the beautiful evening. Jughead pulled a chair out for Betty, making sure she had the best view of the city. He left Betty with a chaste kiss as he returned to the kitchen to retrieve their dinner.

As they ate, Betty fiddled with his foot under the table. Jughead's mind was far away from the food when Betty's fingers moved to his thigh, tickling lightly above his jeans. He ate his food quicker than normal, a feat not easily achieved, and had already refilled both glasses with more champagne.

The alcohol, however little, left a pink flush on her cheeks.

When Betty finished her food she bit her lip, her eyes searching Jughead's. There was some unspoken thing between them. That moment that they had missed the past two days… it seemed to finally be here. Jughead didn't know how to start what would inevitably come.

"Jughead?" Betty started.

"Yeah?"

"I just wanted to say… I'm so glad I'm here with you. I know I've said it before, but I wanted to say it again." Betty reached for Jughead's hand and slid her chair a bit closer to his until their knees touched. "I can't imagine what these past few days would have been like without you."

"Betty, I- I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything." Betty leaned just a bit closer, reaching her other hand to hold his so both of their hands were intertwined. "I know you feel the same."

"I do…" Jughead pulled one hand away, letting it land on her cheek. He pressed his lips to hers softly at first, then pulled away. Betty didn't speak, her eyes flicked from Jughead's eyes to his lips.

It was like déjà vu when Betty suddenly leaned in, crashing her lips into Jughead's. Her fingers fiddled around the hem of his shirt, but before she could pull the fabric away, Jughead stood and pulled Betty along with them. They stumbled clumsily through the door, Jughead's hands at the back of Betty's neck.

Their lips separated only when Betty tugged at Jughead's sweater, pulling it swiftly over his head. Jughead was quick to reciprocate. He was eager to expose Betty's skin once again. It was his favorite sight, his favorite thing to touch.

He threw her sweater to the floor, not caring where it landed. All that mattered was Betty's body falling onto the bed with her hair fanning out beneath her. Jughead's lips traveled down her chest not stopping until he passed her bellybutton. His lips stopped when they found fabric again. He hooked his fingers between her jeans and soft skin of her hips, tugging slightly.

Betty's hips wriggled, raising her ass off the bed. She invited Jughead to remove her pants, with her hands covering his own as she led them down her thighs. Goosebumps covered Betty's skin. Jughead's lips couldn't help but kiss down her legs as he pulled her jeans off her ankles and tossed them aside.

Jughead crawled back up Betty's body. She tipped her head back, inviting Jughead to kiss her neck. Betty moaned softly when his soft lips were back on her body. One hand moved up from her hip to her breast as he kissed down her chest. It was clear what he wanted.

Betty slipped her bra straps off her shoulders, Jughead's tongue gliding down the indentations that had been left from the elastic against her skin. When Betty finally unclasped her bra and threw the piece of clothing away, Jughead's lips moved to brush over her nipple.

Betty bit her lip as Jughead opened his mouth. Her nipples hardening as his tongue flicked across the tip. Her hands were in his hair, holding him against her chest when she arched her back into him.

Waves of heat traveled from Jughead's cheeks to his toes. Somehow, he found the control to take it slow. He pulled his lips away, admiring the way Betty's body writhed as she whimpered at the loss of contact. Jughead understood what she was feeling when Betty brushed her hands down his bare chest.

Too many layers still separated them, of this Jughead was painfully aware. His hips moved of their own accord, his jeans pressing into the warmth between her thighs. Despite his best efforts to tease, Jughead was eager to move further. He sat up, a cool breeze moving between them when the heat of the other's skin dissipated, and shimmied out of his jeans.

"Juggie…" Betty whined. Her hands moved from his hips to his back and drifted down to the elastic of his underwear. She pulled against him, forcing his dick to press against her center through her panties.

Jughead could hardly take it when Betty moaned and grinded herself against his erection. He needed more, and clearly she did too. Betty was in the process of pulling his underwear down. Jughead helped her remove his underwear and when his dick was released he started on hers.

Betty raised her ass off the bed as Jughead pulled the light fabric down her legs. Her legs were quivering, ready for Jughead to finally take the final step. Her hands were pressed flat against his bare back, her feet brushing against his legs.

Jughead held her panties up with two fingers, smirking devilishly at the girl writhing beneath him. "If I didn't know any better I'd think you were getting wet for me."

Betty's hips bucked at this words, briefly pressing against him, begging for him to stop teasing. "Juggie, you know I'm wet for you… just do it already."

"Says the girl who has been teasing me all day." Jughead pressed his tip against her folds, but didn't thrust into her. He was teasing shamelessly, loving the sight of her sweating beneath him.

"I would have expected you not to stall, Jug." Betty brought her legs up to wrap around his waist, pulling against him. "I'll remember this moment in the future, when you want something from me."

"Fuck Betts, is that a bribe?"

"Damn right it is," Betty finally pulled his lips to hers and whispered against his lips. "Now fuck me."

Jughead didn't hold back. He pushed slowly into her, watching happily as her eyes rolled back into her head. He started slow, his thrusts sharp as his hips bucked against her. But Betty clearly wanted more. She grinded against him, rotating her hips and forcing him to thrust faster.

"Come on, Juggie." She pulled against his neck, leading his lips to her neck. "Faster… please."

He couldn't resist any longer. As his lips sucked a mark on her neck his thrusts sped up. Betty's fingers scratched down his back, no doubt leaving marks for the next morning.

"Oh, fuck…" Jughead groaned. Betty's hands dragged down to squeeze his ass. "I never knew you were so fiesty."

"Only for you, Juggie." Betty pulled his lips to hers, distracting him just long enough to switch their positions. Betty straddled him now, their bodies still intimately connected.

"Betty…" Jughead sighed. His head fell helplessly against the pillow. "What are you doing?"

"Shh," Betty leaned down to kiss him. "Just relax, baby. I want to ride you."

Jughead moaned when Betty began to ride him, her thighs slapping against his own. She rotated her hips as Jughead lightly thrust up to meet her. Jughead's hands slid up from her hips to her breasts, kneading them. Betty groaned at the contact and fell down on top of him. Her lips found his neck, licking down to his collarbone as Jughead took over the lead.

Jughead was now thrusting harshly into her, with Betty still straddling him.

"God, Betty I'm…" His vision was starting to blur, the familiar feeling of the knot building in his stomach.

"Mm," Betty rolled her hips and moved to kiss his lips once more. Their tongues collided and Jughead was momentarily distracted from the inevitability of his orgasm. "Me too, Jug. Just a little longer."

"I can't…" Jughead knew he was close, and couldn't hold on much longer. He flipped Betty over, back to their original position. His thrusts were hard and fast as he chased their high. Jughead moved his hand to Betty's clit, rubbing furiously. He only wanted her orgasm to hit at the same time his.

"Ohh…." Betty clenched around him, tears squeezing out the corner of her eyes. "Fuck, Juggie… fuck me."''

Betty arched her back as she hit her orgasm, her stomach pressed against Jughead's. He climaxed right after her, still thrusting slowly as he came inside of her. Betty's body convulsed as Jughead continued rubbing her clit, waiting until he was sure she had ridden out her high.

A sigh released between parted lips, slick with the saliva from Jughead's lips. Her body went fully limp when Jughead pulled out of her. He fell down next to her body onto his own pillow, staring dazedly up at the ceiling. Betty rolled to rest her head against his chest, her leg slipping over to rest between his own. Jughead slid his arm under her neck and held her close, his lips pressing against the top of her head.

"I just want to stay in this place forever…" Betty sighed.

"What, is Dublin not romantic enough for you?"

Betty perked up and pressed her lips to his. "Anywhere with you… is romantic enough for me."


	8. Lock and Key

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jughead and Betty are living in a world all about them following their romantic adventures and sexual escapades in Paris. Now they crave more alone time as they explore Dublin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its been ages I know! I had some writers block, but I am back. Hope you enjoy this chapter and things are really going to be wrapping up from here. Just three more regular chapters and an epilogue before this Multichap is complete. Enjoy!

The sunset was casting a scarlet glow across the busy halls of the Dublin airport when they finally dragged their luggage from baggage claim to the bus stop outside. Betty sat on her luggage, Jughead next to her with his arm slung over her shoulders.

Reggie was fidgety, pacing back and forth on the sidewalk as they waited. "All I have to say is thank fuck everything is finally in English. It was getting exhausting moving through a billion different languages."

"It was only seven languages, Reg." Jughead rolled his eyes. "And most stuff was in English anyway."

"Whatever, bro. It was exhausting."

"This bus stop is exhausting." Cheryl complained. "My feet are killing me."

"And whose fault is that?" Betty countered. "You're the one who insists on wearing heels to the airport."

"I didn't expect so much walking! I was supposed to be sitting the whole time." Cheryl yanked her heels off her feet and pulled her feet up onto the bench.

Sighs swept out of the lips of her comrades.

"So sue me!" She grumbled.

A large, double-decker bus came grinding to a halt in front of the crowd of people waiting on the sidewalk. By the time they came to the entrance of their hostel, an old brick building, the sun had fully set and moon was glowing brightly through the streets.

The lobby was loud, filled with raucous laughter from the back of the room where a bar was surrounded by a group of young men. Their pints half empty in front of them, one man tumbled off the back of a barstool.

"My kind of people." Reggie smirked. "Archie, be a dear and bring my stuff to the room. I'm about to get my drink on."

"Hey, wait a second…" Archie started, but Reggie was already gone. He sat right in the thick of the crowded bar, taking the seat that had been vacated by the drunk Irishman. Archie looked at his friends and set down his luggage. "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

Jughead reached out an arm to grab his shoulder before Archie could follow Reggie to the bar. "Not so fast, Arch. Could you at least be bothered to help us with the bags?"

Archie sighed, but with a kiss on his cheek at the corner of his lips from Veronica he was quick to grab both of his bags and one of Reggie's. A narrow stairway led them up to their room, where three bunks circled the room. Archie dropped his bags and turned back to the door.

"Wait up, Archiekins." Veronica quickly stepped out of her leggings and into a mini skirt. Next on were her high heels and a swipe of dark burgundy lipstick and she was at Archie's side, clinging to his arm. "You guys coming, or what?"

"Count me in." Cheryl was already reapplying her lipstick in the mirror. "Reggie gets especially frisky when he has a few pints in him."

"Remember we're sharing a room tonight…" Jughead said, but it was in vain because they were already out the door. "That can't be good."

Jughead flinched when Betty snuck up behind him, slipping her cold fingers beneath his T-shirt. He turned, his arms instinctually winding around her shoulders. He squeezed her tight, letting his lips fall to her forehead. Betty seemed to have something else in mind when she let her fingers trail down to his hipbone and under the waist of his boxers.

"Betts, you know how hard it is for me to deny you…" Jughead sighed when Betty's lips moved against his jaw.

"And why, pray tell, would you be denying me?" Her fingers fiddled with the button on his jeans.

Jughead squirmed when Betty pushed his pants halfway down his ass, but he didn't push her away. Instead, he tugged on her sweater and pulled it over her head. Betty flipped the deadbolt on the door before returning to him.

"We don't have the room to ourselves…" Even as he said this, Betty was kicking off her shoes and pulling Jughead toward their bunk. He threw his T-shirt on the floor behind him, shedding his own shoes and jeans before crawling over his beautiful girlfriend in the small bed. "They could come back at any minute."

Betty raked her fingers through Jughead's hair and pulled his lips to hers. "It's only eight o'clock…" She spoke between nipping at Jughead's neck. "Reggie already had half a pint down before we got up here… Archie's probably caught up by now… They won't be back for a few hours… two in the morning at the earliest…"

"Okay, okay…" Jughead bit his lip. "You've convinced me. Now, let's get you out of the rest of these damn clothes."

Betty squealed when Jughead attacked her neck. He nibbled on the soft spot behind her ear and then down her shoulder while Betty yanked her jeans down. Jughead paid no mind to the new skin being revealed to him, instead his lips ravaging her chest. Betty reached behind and unhooked her bra, revealing Jughead's favorite part of her body.

"Juggie…" Her breath hitched when his teeth brushed lightly over her nipple. "I want…"

Jughead suddenly pushed his hand under her panties and let his lips completely encase the nipple he had once been nibbling on. Betty fisted her fingers against the white sheets as Jughead thrust two fingers past her folds.

"You're wet, Betts." She could feel his smirk on her skin.

Betty grazed her fingers up his back and bit her lip as the pleasure began to wash over her. "Great observation, Sherlock. What are you gonna do about it?"

"You want me to tell you what I'm going to do, or do you want me to show you?"

Betty sighed as Jughead pushed another finger into her. "Tell me first… then do it."

Jughead dragged his lips away from her breast, up her body, until his hot breath brushed against her ear.

"I'm going to flip you over and fuck you from behind." Betty shivered when Jughead nibbled on her earlobe. "You'll be fighting to keep quiet when I slap your ass, leaving a sore spot in the morning."

She groaned at his promises, his fingers still moving inside her as she became more desperate for him. His words sent shivers up her skin. She wanted more, no… she needed more.

"Jug…" Betty breathed. "I want you now."

"Oh, but I had so much more to tell you." Jughead pulled back, his eyes locking on hers before moving his lips back to hers. "I wanted to talk about your mouth, and my fingers… your thighs and your stomach and-"

Betty slipped off her panties while Jughead spoke and reached her hands to his boxers. His words stopped suddenly when Betty slid her hand over his hard on. 

"I just want you to fuck me now…"

Jughead pulled his fingers slowly out of her and stuck them between his lips, sucking them clean. When he was satisfied, Jughead roughly gripped her hips and flipped Betty onto her stomach. Betty pulled her knees up, under her body so her ass was raised in the air.

Jughead couldn't keep his hands off of her. As soon as he'd discarded his boxers on the floor, his hands were back on her hips. One hand traveled higher, while the other ventured to her ass. His dick was pressed against her center, and he moved a hand to guide himself in.

"Ohhh…" Betty sighed when he was fully inside of her, thrusting in slow, short movements.

As promised, Jughead lifted a hand and brought it down on her ass. Betty squealed, but was still too quiet to satisfy him. He slapped her ass again, harder this time, and Betty yelped out loud.

"Juggie…" Betty moaned. "The walls are paper thin."

"Then you better find a way to keep quiet." Jughead kept on with his goal to drive Betty wild.

Betty bit down on the pillow when Jughead brought his hand down one more time and proceeded to rub softly and soothe her reddened skin.

"More, Jug… I want faster and harder."

"As you wish."

Jughead's chest pressed against her back as he thrust his hips, thighs slapping against her ass. He moved faster and faster, until Betty could no longer hide her moans in the pillow. Jughead was just as loud, attempting to hide his own voice in Betty's shoulder.

Betty's hands moved behind her to thread her fingers through Jughead's hair, holding his lips against her skin. He let one hand snake around her body until his fingers found her clit. Betty pulled hard on his hair when Jughead began to rub the sensitive nerves, bring her close to the edge.

"Hold on, Betts… just hold on."

"I can't." Her voice came out strained, her orgasm getting closer. Betty bit down on the pillow as Jughead chased his high.

She couldn't hold off any longer, and Betty came around Jughead's cock. He was close behind, and fell with his full body weight on top of her when his orgasm finally rocked through him. As their orgasms completed their course through the two young lover's bodies, Betty pulled Jughead's lips to hers.

"I love you, Juggie." A soft breath escaped her lips when Jughead pulled out and curled up next to her.

"I love you more…"

"Debatable." Betty teased as she rolled onto her back. "Mm… I could use a shower."

"Mind if I join?" Jughead slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her into his side.

"Haven't had enough of me yet?" Betty reached up to push a strand of hair out of his eyes.

Jughead grinned. "Totally platonic shower… no funny business. Purely for the sake of conserving water."

Betty giggled at his explanation. "You don't have to lie, Juggie. You can just say you want to have sex in the shower."

"Well, now you're just making assumptions. Of course… you're not wrong, but I think I'd rather wait to do that when we're not sharing a shower with twenty other people."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Betty, can we just leave without them?" Jughead was hanging off the top bunk, where they ended up sleeping after the sheets on the lower bunk were mussed from their activity the night before. "They didn't come home until five o'clock."

Betty was standing by the sink in their room, adjusting her ponytail in the mirror. Jughead new that she was just pretending to be getting ready because her hair had been perfectly pulled back for twenty minutes now. She swiped her lip gloss across her already pink lips for the third time.

"This was supposed to be a friends trip, Jug. After all the romance of Paris, we should all be hanging out together."

"It's not my fault they insist on staying up all night, every night."

"Well, what do you have in mind, then?" Betty sauntered over to the bed, where Jughead had his chin propped on his arm. She twirled her fingers through his hair and waited for his response. He hadn't once mentioned what he wanted to see in Dublin. Betty had already made it clear that she wanted to see St. Stephen's Green, but on the condition that her friends… all of them, be there to see it with her.

"I have something in mind that I don't think the other's will miss too much." Jughead paused. He already knew she'd be thoroughly fascinated with what he was going to suggest. "Kilmainham Gaol."

"Something about the way you said that… makes me think you pronounced it wrong." Betty smirked.

"That's beside the point." Jughead rolled to the edge of the bed where he could climb down the ladder. "What matters is that it's the most famous prison in Dublin and number one on Trip Advisor's list of best things to do in Dublin."

"You know how I love a good list from Trip Advisor." Betty replied. Jughead snaked an arm around Betty's waist as he led them out of the room. "And prison's have always intrigued me."

"Why do you think I brought it up? It's terribly romantic."

The sun was just peeking through the clouds when they stepped onto the cobblestone street. Two hands intertwined as a cool breeze swept past, the tip of Betty's ponytail flying out behind them. The nearest bus stop was a short two blocks away, with their final destination only a fifteen minute ride.

As they approached the old prison, the sidewalk became increasingly more crowded. Betty tucked herself into Jughead's side as he pulled her along the route that he'd memorized that morning. A short lineup of tourists were in a queue outside the prison, but Betty and Jughead were able to move through the queue quickly and into the stone building.

"Eugh," Betty grumbled. She put a hand over her nose. "It smells rank in here."

"Ah, nothing like the sweet smell of death in the morning." Jughead teased.

"People died here?" Betty asked, while Jughead simply nodded. "That makes it so much more romantic."

"Betty Cooper, you are an easy woman to please."

Betty only shrugged as a response and intertwined her fingers with Jughead's as they moved deeper into the building. They approached a wide open space, a long room with a curve along the far wall. All around the perimeter, towering three floors above them, were wrought iron bars keeping the ghosts of former prisoners locked inside their cages.

At the very center of the room was a long staircase, leading to the top floor. Betty pried her hand away from Jughead's, and stepped lightly up the metal stairs. A metallic clang rang out beneath her feet, and without even turning, she knew Jughead had raised his camera. She began to turn when she heard…

Click.

Jughead winked when she turned and caught his eye. Betty waved him forward, begging him to join her at the completion of their tour. Eventually, after Betty had reached the end of the staircase, Jughead followed her.

"There's really not much to see here, huh?" Betty said when Jughead had rejoined her at her side.

"It's a prison, I suppose cells are all they have." He shrugged. "I am starving though. Can we get lunch?"

"I know you, Jug." Betty laughed, looping her arm in his. "'Can we get lunch?' usually means you need to eat in the next thirty minutes or death is imminent."

Jughead laughed and pressed a kiss to her head. Betty knew he meant it to be sweet, and it was, but he always managed to leave a wet spot when he kissed her head. She wiped the invisible mark away with the back of her hand, feigning disgust as they stepped back out onto the street.

Betty had been to one or two Irish Pubs in her time, but never to a genuine pub in the heart of Dublin. It was dark inside, with old electric sconces casting an eerie glow over the wooden booths. Jughead sidled up to the bar and Betty leaned up against the sticky counter next to him.

"What classic Irish cuisine are we going for today?" Betty asked when Jughead pulled up a small menu.

"I say we start with drinks?" Jughead replied, eyeing the shelves of booze lined up against a mirror behind the bar.

"Okay, just this once… I'll have a Jameson and Coke." She said to the bartender.

Jughead raised an eyebrow at her with a slight smirk playing on his lips. "Never pegged you for a whiskey drinker."

"I'm not, but as they say, when in… Dublin."

"I'll have the same." Jughead said. "Why don't you go find us a seat? I'll order the food."

"Pick something delicious." Betty planted a big, wet kiss on his cheek before finding a dark corner booth.

Jughead found Betty with her shoes off and feet curled up beneath her. The forest green leather seats were cracked in spots, but cushioned and comfortable nonetheless. He set one glass in front of her and took a swig of the brown drink in his own.

"Try it…" Jughead goaded, pushing the drink into Betty's hands. She lifted it to her nose and took a whiff. Just as she did so, her nose scrunched up in the most adorable way.

"This smells awful."

"Just a sip… come on." As a way of invitation, Jughead took another drink.

She pulled the drink to her lips so quickly, it was like she was afraid she'd change her mind. Her throat bobbed and lips puckered as she swallowed the drink. Tears sprang to her eyes and she violently shoved the glass toward Jughead.

"Mm, no. You drink it, I'll get something else."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

Two hours later Betty held tight to Jughead's arm as they made their way to Dublin Castle. What had started as one Cosmopolitan turned into three and now it seemed that the cobblestones were moving like waves beneath her feet. Jughead was stone sober, having had only two drinks with his lunch.

They approached the castle from the river, the sun already beginning to set behind the castle. Jughead snatched a map while they waited at the ticket booth. He flipped through the pamphlet, pointing to areas on the map that he found particularly interesting. His hand slipped around her back and lingered at her waist as they moved to the upper yard, a courtyard surrounded by the walls of the castle.

"Be my muse?" Jughead asked. He positioned Betty under an arch leading further into the castle. "Now don't look right at the camera but just above me." Jughead crouched slightly. Click. "Perfect."

"You do love to take advantage of me." Betty teased.

"My angel, my muse, my love. The camera has eyes only for you, my dear."

Betty rolled her eyes at his profession, but her cheeks flamed up pink regardless. "I hate you… but I love you."

"That's the test of true love, Betts."

Betty sidled up to his side again, pressing a kiss to his cheek before allowing his arm to circle her torso again. "So we passed the test?"

"We passed the test." He smiled and leaned in to fully kiss her lips before they finally stepped inside the castle.

Jughead reluctantly tucked his camera away as they entered a no photography area, but it seemed that the art within was much too precious for his camera anyway. No piece of art could quite compare to light that haloed Betty's body as the sun dipped below the horizon. She walked ahead of him, sinking to her knees in the grass outside the castle.

"So I guess Dublin is a wrap then?" Jughead said as he sat next to Betty.

"I think you're forgetting we have one more day."

"Do we have anything planned tomorrow?"

"I'm forcing everyone to go to St. Stephen's Green tomorrow afternoon." Betty leaned into his embrace as they watched the sun dip lower. "But I think we need to plan to be hungover tomorrow morning."

"Why's that?"

"Well.. I may have told the others we'd go on a pub crawl with them tonight."

"Seriously?"

"Remember, this started as a friends trip and just became something… more. The least we can do is spend one fun night with our friends. It'll be fun Jughead, trust me."

"It would be more fun if we didn't have to share a room with those bozos."

"Just hold on, Jug. Remember, we get a private room once we get to Alnwick."

"Can't wait." He kissed her again. He never wanted to part from her. As she held tight to his waist while they waited for their bus, he hoped she would never let go.


	9. Castle on the Hill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They lay in silence for a while, listening to each other's heartbeats slow to their normal pace. Betty was the first to speak.
> 
> "We haven't talked about the future…" She said, her middle finger moving in circles on his chest.
> 
> "What about it?"
> 
> "This trip is almost over, so what does that mean when we have to go home? What happens?"
> 
> Jughead stared down into her eyes. "You're really worried about this, aren't you?"
> 
> She simply nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You are going to love this. It's my favorite chapter yet.

Church bells chimed through Edinburgh when they stepped off the bus that Sunday morning. All six of the weary travelers shuffled along quietly toward yet another hostel. What's really only been a few weeks feels like a year after all of the planes and trains they've been on.

Veronica's phone was shouting out directions as they zigzagged through the hilly streets of the Scottish city. Finally they passed a row of blue residences, with a sign for the Cowgate Hostel hanging above the lobby. Again, Veronica handled checking in, offering up her passport as her ID.

"Okay, so you're in apartment ninety-two, just two doors down on your left when you go outside." The front deskperson pointed in that general direction. Flat number three is on the first floor and you are in room two. This code will get you into the apartment, the round key into your flat, and the square key will go directly to your room. How many keys?"

"Three will be fine." Veronica tucked her passport back into her purse.

"That will be thirty pounds deposit that will be returned upon the checkout when you turn in your keys."

"Shit, does anyone have cash?" Veronica looked helplessly back at Betty.

Betty rolled her eyes, but pulled the money from her purse and passed it along.

"I am going to sleep for hours. Might as well just write today off completely…" Jughead mumbled so only Betty could hear him. Veronica led them to the small room lined with six bunks. A few of them were occupied by various individuals. "You didn't have anything planned, right?"

"Just general wandering that can be squeezed in over the next day and a half after today. But I'm warning you, my Harry Potter tour starts here."

"Here, in this dingy hostel?"

"Here, as in, in Edinburgh. You know J.K. Rowling wrote the books here."

"Save the podcast lecture you're about to give me for tomorrow. I'm too tired to fully absorb the knowledge right now."

"Did you just imply that I lecture you?" Betty scowled as Jughead claimed the top bunk for his suitcase. He gestured for Betty's bags as well and set them up alongside his.

"Forgive me if my lack of sleep last night has made me grumpy."

Jughead sat heavily on the lower bunk and discarded his shoes almost immediately. He had tucked himself under the covers before Betty could even reach up to remove her ponytail.

"Are you gonna come cuddle me, or am I gonna have to beg?"

"Hold your horses, drama queen…" Betty tossed her shoes next to Jughead's and sat down. She pulled the curtain that hung across the bunk before letting Jughead pull her to his side. She allowed her head to rest over his heart. His fingers found her hair, tugging slightly so her chin tipped up toward him.

"I love you." Jughead whispered against her lips.

"I love you, too."

"Goodnight." His lips moved to her hair when Betty cuddled against his shoulder. 

"It's still morning."

"Semantics…" He yawned. He didn't elaborate and in only a few moments his breathing slowed and his grip relaxed. Betty found herself drifting off as well, falling into the rhythm of his breaths.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

"So what's the significance of this café?" Cheryl asked. "I do love the color though."

The sign read "The Elephant Café" and was painted bright red. On a Monday morning, there was a line of tourists and locals in front of the glass pastry cases, ordering up coffees for the start of the work week or a day of sightseeing.

"This is where J.K. Rowling wrote much of Harry Potter." Betty replied.

"Today isn't going to be some Harry Potter fangirl tour, is it?" Cheryl fixed Betty with a withering look.

"No, in fact this is the only Harry Potter related place that I know of in Edinburgh."

"Oh, thank God."

Betty bought their morning coffees with two crisp twenty pound notes. From the table they were given at the back of the café, they could see Edinburgh Castle perched precariously on top of a cliff. Large and imposing, Jughead already had his camera out before they were even seated.

Betty laid out her phone with the notes screen open for her friends to see. Listed in bullet points, she showed them their tentative itinerary for the day. Elephant House, check. Next up, a walk up Princes Street to Edinburgh castle.

"And then we've got tickets for the theater tonight at seven and you'll be happy to know that we'll have time to go to the club across the street from the hostel when we get back."

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Reggie exclaimed. "I mean I'm down for the play or whatever, but a club just a few steps from where I'm sleeping will be such a life saver."

"And we're lucky there are no canals for you to jump into this time, buddy." Jughead supplied, patting him on the back. "And damn I wish I'd been there to see that."

"Hey man, you were too busy getting frisky with Betty." Reggie punched his shoulder. "I can respect that."

"For your information, we only kissed that night. You and that dirty canal water passed more bases that night."

Reggie shrugged, but threw a wink in Betty's direction. Her cheeks flared up of their own accord, wondering what Reggie saw when he saw the two of them together. Then, Jughead put his hand on her knee and she realized that she didn't care what he thought.

"Somehow this conversation is both sappy and dirty." Veronica set her empty mug on the table top and dabbed the whipped cream from her lip. "Let's continue this conversation on the way to the castle. I want Jughead's magical camera on me when we get there."

"I think Betty's got that position taken." Archie nudged her, taking her hand as they made their way out of the café toward Princes Street.

"I don't mind sharing the camera if Jughead doesn't." Betty replied.

"Just answer me one thing, if the camera is magical does that make me a wizard?" Jughead teased.

Veronica glanced over her should at him as they passed a street performer. "I feel like if I say no you're going to revoke your agreement to be my personal photographer so I'm going to say yes. Grand Wizard Jughead Jones!"

"That's what I like to hear." Jughead grinned.

It was a sunny day, hardly a cloud in sight. Those that did cross the sky were like cotton balls, carefully placed there by a higher power. If there was one thing other than Betty that Jughead's camera was drawn to, it was a good set of fluffy clouds. In the foreground the Scottish flag and the Union Jack fluttered in the wind. Further on, a church steeple took the place of the flags, then finally… the castle itself at the top of the hill.

When they'd passed the ticket gate, Betty ran ahead. She was practically prancing when she reached the waist height wall separating them from a deadly drop. She threw her head back over her shoulder, her ponytail flying out. Jughead didn't see anything else. He saw nothing but the grin on her face. Click.

Overcome with a sudden urge, he reached out for her waist and pulled her into his chest. His lips found hers in a warm, wet, passionate kiss. He felt completely overwhelmed with the intense love he felt for this woman who, only a month ago, he hadn't even met yet.

"What was that for?" Betty asked, breathless, when he finally pulled away.

"I just love you…" He took her hand and brought it to his lips. "…like a lot. Yeah, I love you a lot."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hours later, after exploring the cobblestone courtyards of the Edinburgh Castle and the Crown Jewels of Scotland locked up in a tower, they left the extravagant Festival Theatre. Betty was still humming along to "Chitty chitty bang bang" as they walked back to their hostel. Even on a Monday, the music from the club was still loud enough for them to hear in their room. They stayed only long enough to change out of their theater clothes and into more club appropriate garb.

Cheryl hiked up a red mini skirt before pulling off the black dress she'd been wearing that day. This left her with only a bandeau covering her chest. Veronica's outfit had more fabric but was no less revealing. A lace crop over dark, purple bralette. Archie and Reggie, from their respective spots on their beds, watched the girls with interest.

Betty, however, pulled her hair out of its ponytail and ditched her light cardigan, knowing the heat and sweat that waited inside the club.

" Okay, Betty my darling…" Veronica slung her purse over her shoulder and snatched Betty's hand. "Tonight, we are getting you wasted."

"Oh, I don’t think…"

"And therein lies the problem." Cheryl took her other hand and all but yanked her out the door. "You think too much. Jughead, we're relying on you to get her to loosen up."

Jughead took over Cheryl and Veronica's spot, holding her waist as he walked close behind her. "We'll get something loosened up."

They could hardly hear their own voices when they entered the club. Jughead ordered something pink and bubbly for her, and a glass of dark liquor for himself. There was a large, cushioned booth in the corner where the girls dropped their purses. Cheryl and Veronica already on the dance floor. Betty dropped into the seat with her drink, taking a long sip.

The booze went down hot, the burn making her cough. "What is this?"

Jughead sat down next to her. "Vodka cran… double shot."

"Double?"

"You said order whatever." Jughead smirked. "And I may have been hoping you'd, how did Reggie put it… get a little frisky tonight."

Slowly, she let her hand move from his knee to his thigh. Lips moved to his so she could be sure that he would hear every word she said.

"You don't have to get me drunk to get me frisky." She slid her hand up further. "You just have to kiss me like you did this morning."

That was all the invitation he needed. Jughead pressed Betty back into the seat, his hands coming up to her neck. He loved the skin there, soft and smooth… he could feel her heartbeat quicken when he deepened the kiss.

Reluctantly, Jughead pulled back.

"Why?" Betty breathed.

"I just want to finish my drink… so we can dance and not worry about leaving them behind."

"And here I thought you didn't dance." Betty teased. She took a long swig of her drink, almost emptying the glass.

"With you, I'll dance."

Betty and Jughead both finished their drinks in record time and Jughead pulled her by the waist onto the dance floor. Their bodies moved in sync to the music, pressed so close together that Betty could feel every part of her boyfriend pressed against her back.

Betty spun swiftly in his arms, wrapping hers around his torso. Her lips found his neck, sucking a mark on his salty skin. Hands exploring his toned back and fingers tangling with the hair at the nape of his neck.

Jughead's hand was at her lower back, the other reached to grab her hand. Suddenly, he was pulling her off the dance floor and toward the exit. The night air was cool against her skin, but nothing else mattered except for Jughead pulling her into a dark corner at the front of the club. 

"I wish we had our own room." He growled, his hands dipping under the waistband of her skirt.

"Who says we need a room?" She wanted so badly to rip his shirt off right there, but was still vaguely aware of the few patrons still milling around the front of the building.

"What, you want to go back to the club bathroom?"

Betty hooked her fingers through his belt loops and started pulling him toward the crosswalk and the hostel.

"I have a better idea." Betty stopped just long enough outside their building to catch Jughead's lips once again. She whispered next right against his lips. "I bet there's no one using the showers right now."

"Good idea," Jughead grinned. "I am feeling a little dirty."

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning they sped across the countryside on the ten o'clock train. With the fields of sheep and crops, and not a mountain in sight, Jughead could almost pretend he was back in the small town where he grew up. The few stone towers built on the rolling hills were the only sign that they were, in fact, still roaming through a country where medieval castles still existed.

Betty stared out the window the for the entire hour that they were on the train. Jughead spent that hour looking at Betty. Occasionally through the lens of his camera, but mostly through the shaded lenses of his sunglasses.

Alnmouth station was small, in the middle of nowhere, but one of the workers pointed them to a nearby bus stop.

"Are we sure we're in the right place?" Archie asked as they stood under the cover of the plexiglass bus shelter.

"Yes, Archiekins." Veronica showed him the map on her phone for the third time. "The bus should be here within ten minutes or so."

"Okay, I get that, but I thought we were going to some huge British castle, but there isn't a city for miles. This place feels more like a village." He gestured to the few houses around them.

"Alnwick is just a few miles away." Betty supplied. "And the castle is the largest remaining castle in Northern England. It just so happens that it's a pretty rural area up here, but the castle really is a huge tourist attraction."

"Has anyone ever told you that you should be a teacher?" Reggie said. "I mean, that was actually kind of interesting for a minute."

"It was two sentences, Reg. Don't strain yourself." Jughead sighed. "Here's the bus."

Another short jaunt across the English countryside brought them right into the heart of Alnwick. The bus stop was set right in the shopping district, in front of a grocery store that was similarly sized to one he might see back home.

The Black Swan Inn was just down the block and quiet at this time of day. Downstairs was a traditional British pub with old woodwork and charming architecture where a few patrons sat eating lunch. The woman behind the bar was able to quickly check them in to their rooms. They were lucky in making their reservation that all of the three rooms provided by The Black Swan were vacant and available for them.

Jughead was quick to fall onto the bed in the small, but quaint room.

"Our own room, thank God." He groaned, sinking into the pillows.

"Don't get too comfy, Jug, I want to see the castle."

"But we have our own room…" Jughead said slowly. He said up long enough to grab her waist and pull her down on top of him. "Surely, we have some time to waste."

"Tempting…" She whispered, fingers grazing up his side. "But it can wait until tonight."

"You drive a hard bargain, Cooper… but I accept your deal on one condition."

"Yeah, what's that?"

"I'm gonna need the greatest kiss you can muster to tide me over."

"Now that, I can do."

They met their friends downstairs ten minutes later. The castle was situated just behind the pub, but they had to walk around the outer wall of the castle before the castle really came into view. Betty insisted they continue past the castle to the pasture covered the massive expanse of land on the other side of the castle. 

The view literally knocked Betty off her feet, either that or it was the patch of mud that she slid on before falling on her ass.

"Shit, are you okay?" Jughead was trying to be serious, but couldn't help laughing at the splotch of mud on the back of her jeans.

"Fine…" She held her hand out for Jughead to lift her off the ground. "Just remind me to change when we get back."

"No need, I'll handle it." Jughead grinned and winked before he started to attempt to wipe the mud off the back of her pants.

"Very funny, Jug, but that's not helping." She pulled his hands off her ass and leaned in close. "You can have some quality time with my body later, but for now your hands are banned from boobs and butt, got it?"

"I like it when you're bossy." His body really had flushed with the implication, but he raised his hands in surrender when she scowled at him. "I mean, yes ma'am."

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They decided to hit up the Alnwick garden next, opting to give the castle its own day. It was a massive expanse of trees, flowers, fountains and shrubbery. A huge water feature greeted them when they walked through the gate, and a full color map to show them each of the different gardens within the stone walls. 

They started at the right side of the garden, where the labyrinth led them through a tunnel of shrubs led them around to a cluster of modern, artistic fountains. Families with small children crowded around this area, with the kids in their bathing suits waiting for the fountain to spray. When the geyser finally shot a shower of cold water into the air, the kids squealed from the cold and excitement that Betty remembers feeling running through the sprinkler as a kid.

They continued on, through a long tunneled arch of ivy.

"I feel like I'm in a real fairytale, Jug." She spun in a circle ahead of him, willing him to pick her up and spin her himself.

"As well you should." He caught up and took her hand in his.

"Especially with that silly hat of yours…" She said, tugging on the fabric of his beanie.

"Excuse me, it is not silly. It's called fashion… you might've heard of it."

"Whatever you say, darling." Betty patted his cheek adoringly. "All I know is that it hides your perfect hair from me, but it does make you look like my prince charming."

"Aha, so you like it then." They emerged on into the rose garden, where other fairytale icons were immortalized in statue form.

"If I didn't like it, I would have tried before now to get you to take it off." Betty rolled her eyes and left the conversation at that when she saw the rose from Beauty and the Beast on a stone pedestal. Then Cinderella's shoe and the Frog Prince… it really was more of a fairytale garden than a rose garden.

A forest of cherry blossom trees covered another corner of the garden, rows and rows of bench swings lined up and perfect for photographing. Betty heard Jughead's camera click three times before she'd even sat down in the swing.

"Perfection."

The sun was beginning to set when they left the garden and began the walk back to their room. They planned to grab dinner downstairs and the head back to their room for an early night, but one pint of cider turned into three and Reggie throwing back beer like it was water. They all found the conversation with the locals to be more rewarding than a night of watching the BBC would be.

Veronica and Cheryl were talking to some of the locals bellied up to the bar, leaving Archie scowling jealously over his beer every time Veronica laughed at something the guy said.

"Poor sap." Jughead said, nodding in Archie's direction. "He's like a puppy… if he's not getting attention, he thinks he's done something wrong."

"He'll get over it." Betty drank down the last bit of her cider, feeling a bit sluggish if not craving Jughead's touch on her body. "You ready to head up?"

Jughead glanced to his drink, then at the look in Betty's eyes. He chugged down the last of his drink and pulled Betty from her seat and toward the stairs to their room.

As soon as the door shut behind them Jughead pressed her against it, his fingers going first under her shirt and unhooking her bra, then to the button of her jeans. All the while, his lips were against hers, tongues dancing blissfully together.

Betty did the same, pulling his jeans down before pushing him back onto the bed. She yanked off his beanie, finally being allowed to fully run her fingers through his hair. Jughead was attempting to pull Betty's shirt over her head, but stopped suddenly when Betty's lips moved down… down… to the elastic of his boxers. She pulled the fabric between her teeth, letting it slap back down against his skin. Then her tongue was trailing up his stomach as she pushed his T-shirt toward his head.

And suddenly all of her warmth was gone, Betty stood up and turned her back to Jughead.

He whimpered, annoyed.

"You just get the rest of your clothes off, and I'll give you a little show." She kept her back to him as she pulled her blouse off and then the straps of her already unlatched bra. Jughead said nothing, even when she pulled down her jeans and turned back to face him.

Jughead was laying flat on his back, his shirt off but his jeans still stuck around his ankles where he hadn't yet managed to get his boots off his feet. Light snores snuck out between his lips.

"Jug?" Betty crawled over the bed until she was laying next to him. She rolled her eyes and sighed when she realized he wasn't faking it. She pecked him lightly on the lips. "Tomorrow then."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jughead woke up with a half naked woman in his bed. That was a bit generous, he thought, when she was completely naked aside from the panties she wore. Jughead was in a similar position, his pants mysteriously missing when he distinctly remembered having them on when he fell asleep.

Betty stirred when Jughead stretched his free arm over his head, the other arm stuck snugly between Betty's shoulders and the bed. She nuzzled further into the crook of his shoulder, her legs sneaking through his. Jughead hissed when her cold toes hit his thigh.

"Sorry…" She grumbled, but Jughead could feel the curl of her smirk against his skin.

"Liar."

"Love you." She finally lifted her head and let her chin rest on his shoulder as she looked up into his eyes.

Jughead shook his head at her, a strand of hair falling over his eye as he did so. "Love you more."

"Impossible." Betty pressed an eager kiss to his lips before disentangling herself and walking to the en suite bathroom. She dropped her panties on the floor before she got there, but didn't turn to give Jughead the view. "You missed a fun time last night."

The night before came flooding back to him. Three beers, Betty was horny, warm lips and cold fingers… and the intoxication finally pulling him into sleep.

"Shit." He pulled Betty's pillow over his eyes to hide his shame. "I'm sorry… I blame the beer."

"No need to apologize to me… you were the one practically begging for it all day yesterday."

"I was not begging…" He argued. Jughead followed her into the bathroom to fix the nest of hair on his head.

"Keep telling yourself that, but you have to wait until tonight to try again."

"I'm literally never drinking again."

"That's a bold statement…" Betty finally stepped into the shower. "We'll see how you feel about that at the pub quiz tonight. Liquor makes the brain move quicker."

"I'm pretty sure that is one hundred person incorrect."

"Points for rhyming though?"

"I'd give it a solid eight of ten." The wet smack of a washcloth hit Jughead in the back of the head. He turned to see Betty scowling, peeking from behind the shower curtain.

"It was at least eight and a half."

"I'll let you have that." He left the bathroom to wait at the small desk near the window. His laptop had been neglected for much of the trip, but now he had at least thirty minutes uninterrupted to continue his account of the trip so far.

He opened up the document aptly titled "Europe." He hadn't yet come up with some clever title, preferring to wait until the end. The last he'd written was during their time in Greece, so he had a few cities to catch up on. He pointed his cursor at the end of the last sentence he wrote, thinking back fondly to only a few weeks ago.

/Golden blonde hair falls over her face, obscuring those features he's come to love. This sleeping beauty doesn't know it yet, but she will soon. He loves her, after only two weeks he found that he could not imagine life without her. He would tell her soon, in Italy. Betty Cooper, the woman he loves./

He thought of all the time and moments that had passed between them. Exchanging 'I love yous', making love for the first time, and the second and the third… he had a lot to catch up on, but maybe he'd keep some of those personal moments in a private folder.

"Haven't seen you do any writing in a while, what's it about?" Betty emerged from the bathroom with her hair thrown up in a ponytail and lips glossed pink.

"I'll let you read it when it's finished, but until then it remains a secret."

"You sure know how to keep a girl in suspense." She grabbed her purse from where it hung on the corner of the footboard. "Ready to see another castle?"

"Always."

They enjoyed another sunny day, the sun bouncing off the stone walls that surrounded the town. Jughead could see every single crack in the mortar, every detail of the stonework standing out in sharp lines. The grass lawn of the outer bailey within the castle grounds was as bright as that of a golf course.

He couldn't quite put into words the simplistic beauty of the castle in front of him. It wasn't as grand as Neuschwanstein, nor as intricate in detail as Prague Castle, but the simple beauty was enough. A court jester was finishing his set on the lawn to the right of the cobblestone path. Flaming batons flew through the air, coming to a final stop in his hands.

"We missed the show…" Betty pouted.

Jughead nudged her shoulder, pointing to a sign set up in front of the performer. Next show: 3:00.

"So only two hours to explore? I think we can make that work."

"Guys! Broomstick flying lessons!" Archie bounded up out of nowhere and grabbed Jughead around the shoulders.

"Oh yeah!" Betty followed along excitedly. "I forgot to mention they filmed some of Harry Potter here… the broomstick flying lessons in particular."

"Damn, this place has pizzazz." Jughead grinned, snatching his camera to get a picture of the twig brooms brought out by the actors playing the instructors. "Can't wait to see the rest of it… like the actual inside of the castle."

"We have plenty of time."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After prancing in the grass like a bunch of kids, with brooms held between their knees, they moved on to the sophistication waiting inside. The state rooms were ornately furnished, gold accents on the walls, furniture, and doors. Cheryl walked around like she owned the place, only stopping herself from picking up a candelabra when Betty pulled her back.

"Cheryl, this isn't Thornhill… an actual Duke lives here with his family." Betty led her to the library, where most of the room was thankfully roped off. "No touching."

"I can't help that it reminds me of home."

Betty rolled her eyes, but trusted that Cheryl would keep her hands to herself and moved back to Jughead's side.

"What do you say we hit up the fish and chip shop?" She asked, already knowing what his answer would be. "By the time we're done eating we can see the jester and then the rest of the castle grounds."

He smirked, pulling her into his side with a kiss to her temple. "You are almost painfully organized, you know that?"

Betty shrugged. "You'll get used to it."

"I think I already am. Come on, I'm starving."

Betty ordered fish bites, while Jughead got a full serving of fish and chips, reluctantly allowing Betty to sneak a few chips off of his plate. They continued, hands intertwined, for the rest of the day… up until they were back at the pub for quiz night.

The pub was packed with locals and tourists alike from what Betty could tell. Groups of four and five were given quiz papers and a pencil, blank lines listed numbers one to thirty for the answers to be written. More than half the pub was already on the way to being drunk, so Betty thought they stood a decent chance. 

"Well, we all know I have the lowest IQ in the group," Reggie said, returning to their table with two beers. "So I'll sit out on this one."

"Great job taking one for the team, Reg." Archie clapped him on the shoulder and took the second beer from him.

"Hey, those were both for me." He made a move to snatch it back from him.

"Chill, I got the next round."

Betty tucked her head against Jughead's shoulder with a happy sigh. Her two best friends, two new friends, her boyfriend… she couldn't be happier with where their adventure had taken them. It was nearing the end, though. There was only a week and a half left in their trip and they hadn't discussed what happened when they went home.

"Hey," Jughead whispered, close enough that only she could hear. "You want to head back to the room? We've already answered twenty of thirty questions… I think they can handle the rest. Plus, the award for winning is just another round of drinks."

Betty nodded. "Let's go."

Jughead moved purposefully through the crowd and up the stairs to their room. As soon as he'd stepped through the door he threw his beanie on the desk. Betty pulled out her ponytail, sighing gratefully when Jughead slipped his fingers through her hair.

His lips moved languidly over her own, taking his time. Every movement was slow but meaningful. Hands moved to her hips, teasing under her blouse and moving up. Their lips only parted for a moment when Jughead pulled her shirt off. He pushed her down on the bed, smoothly pushing down her short skirt.

"Juggie…" She breathed. Her head pressed back against the pillow when Jughead started to work on her neck, leaving bites all over. "I want to see more of you. Get your fucking shirt off."

Betty was already halfway there when Jughead decided to spare one hand to finish pulling his shirt off. His lips moved from her neck to her chest to her stomach to…

"Oh…" Her breath hitched when his fingers hooked under her panties. His lips moved as he pulled the fabric down, until his tongue met her wet center. Betty kicked off her panties and let her legs move over Jughead's shoulders, keeping him close.

She fisted her fingers in his hair and his eyes snapped up to meet hers. She could see the devilish smirk in his eyes. Betty was already flushed and writhing under his touch, and he hadn't even entered her yet. Jughead slipped two fingers in to where his tongue had just been, watching with a playful smirk when his girl's stomach clenched.

She wanted to hold on, wanted to see him come when she did, but he was doing too much. His thumb moved to rub her clit while his fingers pumped in and out. His lips moved to any bit of skin he could reach, licking the sheen of sweat forming on her skin.

As her climax drew closer she could hardly even feel the hickey Jughead was leaving inside her thigh. Waves of pleasure rolled over her as she came on Jughead's fingers. Her whole body reacted, eyes pinched closed and back arched. Jughead pulled his fingers back and climbed up to lay next to her as Betty came down from her high.

"Jug, that was…" She grinned, letting him decipher the rest. She moved her hands to his jeans, which she hadn't even realized where still on until just now. She shifted down in the bed. "Can I return the favor?"

Jughead stopped her from crawling over his legs, instead pressing her back against the bed again. "Not tonight. Betts, I wanna make you come again."

"What are you waiting for?"

He moved faster now, discarding his jeans and pulling the duvet over their bodies. He captured her lips once more as he moved inside of her. She felt so over stimulated, having only just come down from her first orgasm, but soon she felt even better than the first time around. Jughead was moving in just the right way, his hips snapping against hers.

Betty would worship every part of him if she could, but for now she settle for his collarbone. She nipped at the skin around his neck, leaving marks that would match her own. She tried to distract herself from her own body by focusing on his. She was close to her second climax when Jughead hadn't come once.

"Oh fuck… Betty." He groaned particularly loudly when she bit down hard on his shoulder.

"Don't stop, Jug. Fuck, please don't stop." He was moving almost too slow, trying to hold on to the moment as long as possible. "Fuck me, Juggie… faster."

He did as he was told, his only goal to make Betty feel as good as possible. As he thrust faster, his orgasm crept up on him. Betty's fingernails scratched against his bare back. The sound of their skin slapping together finally making him come undone.

"Shit, oh my God…"

"Don't stop… just a little longer." Betty pulled his lips to her chest, allowing the stimulation to make her finally come.

Jughead rolled beside her, Betty's body fitting perfectly against his when he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She curled up against his side, one leg coming up to rest over his own.

They lay in silence for a while, listening to each other's heartbeats slow to their normal pace. Betty was the first to speak.

"We haven't talked about the future…" She said, her middle finger moving in circles on his chest.

"What about it?"

"This trip is almost over, so what does that mean when we have to go home? What happens?"

Jughead stared down into her eyes. "You're really worried about this, aren't you?"

She simply nodded.

"Well, what happens is… we decide where we want to live. I've got a studio apartment waiting in a shitty neighborhood in New York. I have this feeling you probably live somewhere too?"

"I live with my parents." She slapped a hand over her face, embarrassed. Jughead pulled it away.

"So it's settled. We move in to my apartment."

"Then what?"

Jughead pressed a kiss to her hand, holding it tight in his. "Well, we'll get a dog eventually, get some great jobs so we can move to a better place, get married, have a few wild little children."

"You've thought about this?" Betty sat up straight, pulling back a little so she could see him perfectly. Jughead groaned at the loss of contact.

"Of course I've thought about it, Betty. I love you. How could I not think about it?"

She shrugged. "You really want to marry me?"

"I'd marry you right now if I could."

Betty laughed, not because of how crazy that sounded, but because she agreed. She threw a leg over Jughead to straddle his waist. "I'd marry you right now too."

She leaned in, capturing his lips. When she pulled back, Jughead was staring into her eyes, his eyebrows tense in thought.

"Why don't we?"

"Why don't we what?" Betty's fingers were in his hair again.

"Why don't we get married now? Well, not right now, but this week. We can have a little ceremony with our friends on Saturday and make it official when we get back to New York."

"Are you proposing to me?"

"It feels like we proposed to each other… but yeah. Will you marry me?"

Her smile threatened to split open her cheeks. "Yes, Jughead. Yes, I'll marry you."

Their lips crashed together once more, passion flowing through their veins. Betty lifted her hips, lowering herself onto Jughead's cock.

"Can't get enough of me, can you?" Jughead teased, massaging her ass.

"Don’t pretend you don't want it too. Your dick is hard."

"Thanks, Captain Obvious."

Jughead let his hands rest on her hips as Betty fucked herself on his cock.

"Oh my God, I just thought of something." Betty stopped, eyes widened at Jughead. "My mom is going to disown me."

"You were thinking about your mom while riding me? Christ…"

"No! Oh my God, no. I was thinking about getting married and that led to thinking about how I'm going to tell my mom and how she is going to be so mad."

"Can we stop talking about your mom? Or wait until later?"

"Jug, pissing of my mom just makes this all even better." She started rocking against him again. "I'm being a very bad girl, don't you think?"

"With the likes of me?" He reached around again to grab her ass. "I'd say you are downright naughty."


End file.
